The Wrong Side of the Tracks
by whaledreams
Summary: Mac teaches a group of high school kids survival techniques, and ends up befriending a girl who's having a rough time at home. WARNING: Scenes of violence.
1. Unknown Territory

I do not own MacGyver, nor any of it's characters (except for Jena) from Paramount. I am not profiting from this, I'm simply writing this for my enjoyment, and hopefully, yours. J

**Chapter 1- Unknown Territory**

MacGyver wondered what he had gotten himself into as he opened the door to the classroom.

Pete had called him into the office, and asked if he wanted to be a part of a pilot project that Phoenix was launching. It was a program to help kids in remedial classes to become more active in class and learn about the environment. Mac had jumped at the chance. The original teacher, Mrs. McDougall, had gone into premature labour, and the principal was unable to get a replacement. Since there was only a month left of the school year, the superintendent of schools thought it was a good time for a test trial. Mac would be teaching a class full of Grade 9 students.

He walked into a class that was in total chaos. Students were talking in small groups, music was blaring from a radio, and they were yelling, tossing airplanes and spit balls. Mac looked over the class and saw that only one girl was in her seat. She was wearing torn jeans, and a slightly dirty t-shirt. Her shoulder length hair was tied back into a ponytail with an elastic. He smiled at her, and noticed that she had tired eyes when she smiled back at him.

Mac cleared his throat," Uh - class?"

No response. He scratched his nails across the chalkboard, producing an ear piercing screech that made everyone cringe. All the kids turned around to stare.

"Okay! Now that I have your attention. Could you please take your seats?"

The radio was switched off, and the students quickly found their seats.

"Thank you. My name is MacGyver, and I'll be your teacher for the rest of the semester. I'm going to be teaching you survival techniques in the forest, as well as basic first aid. And if you all pass, then you will be going camping for three days at the end of the course."

The excited shouts he heard from some of the students were mixed with moans from the others.

"Now, has anyone ever been in a situation where someone needed medical attention and they weren't sure of what to do?" Mac asked. He saw a few hands go up, and after consulting the seating chart, he called on Chris.

"Yeah…one time my friend and I were bike riding when….." .

For the remainder of the day, Mac and the students exchanged stories, well, all but the one girl Mac acknowledged when he walked in. When the bell rang, Mac asked Paulo, one of the more talkative students what her story was.

"Oh…her. She got here about three months ago. She's never spoken a word. She just sits there taking notes," he volunteered.

Mac thanked him, then gathered his notes and headed to the principal's office. He wanted to do a little background research on his students.

Jena put her headphones on and pressed play on her walkman. She wasn't happy here in Los Angeles, she missed Arizona. Her father had gotten into some kind of trouble there, and they had to move. Again. She couldn't remember the last time they stayed in one place for longer than six months. She was tired of moving. She hated where she was living, it was a dump. She lived with her dad on the second floor of an apartment building on the lower east side. The paint was peeling off the walls, mailboxes were broken, and it stunk, and that was just the building. In the apartment, doors were missing from the jambs, windows were missing or nailed shut, there were no fire detectors and often there was no hot water. But, it was a roof over her head, for now.

Mac carefully opened his door, balancing files and a briefcase in one hand and his mail in the other. He dumped everything on the table, then made a cup of tea and started reading the files on his students. Halfway through the pile, he realized that most of the them would benefit from the Challengers Club, in one way or another. He was disappointed when he opened Jena's file, there was very little information, just that she had transferred from Arizona from three months ago. Her marks were average, but she failed class participation constantly. The only relative listed was her father, Bill Hansen.

Jena closed the door to the apartment quietly. She knew her father was home, since she could hear snoring coming from the living room. She peeked in and saw her father sprawled out on the couch, clutching a half empty scotch bottle. He was about 5"9 and weighed 275 pounds. Sometimes it felt like he lived on the couch. He was 42 years old, but couldn't hold a job for longer than a few days. She put her book bag in her room, then went to the kitchen to start supper. The pickings were slim, to say the least, and she ended up making a tuna casserole. She couldn't eat it because of her allergies, but her dad sometimes liked it. She let the oven door slam a little too hard, and heard her father bellow from the living room.

"Jena, is that you? Get in here!"

"C-c-coming." She entered the living room, pushing the empty scotch bottles to the side so she could get through.

"What the hell are you making so much noise for?"

"T-t-the d-d-door s-s-slipped. S-s-sorry," she said quietly.

"What's for supper?" he growled.

"T-t-tuna c-c-casserole."

"Again! Can't you make anything else to eat?"

"T-t-there's n-n-nothing else I-I c-c-can m-m-make….t-t-there's h-h-hardly any f-f-f-food l-left."

"Don't get smart-mouth with me. I just gave you money for food a few days ago. Where did it go?"

"I-It w-wasn't a f-f-few d-days, it w-was o-over a w-w-week ago. And y-you o-only g-g-gave m-me $20."

Jena didn't even see the slap coming. She was down on the floor before she realized what happened. She got back on her feet, still feeling the sting in her left cheek.

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"N-n-no d-d-dad. I'm n-not."

"Fine! Here's _another _$20 for groceries. Try not to lose it!"

"I-I w-w-won't."

She went back into the kitchen to check on the casserole. The oven only worked on high settings, so she had to make sure not to burn it. While she filled the sink up with water to do dishes, she opened the freezer door and took out the bottle of Vodka. He didn't like Vodka, but would drink it if he ran out of scotch. Either that, or he would drink mouthwash. She unscrewed the lid and took a long swig, with some of it dribbling down her cheek. Tears of frustrations streamed from her eyes, and she took another long drink.

"Is it ready yet?" he yelled.

She quickly put the bottle back, then checked on dinner, which was finally ready. She found a clean plate, and dished out a generous serving, then brought it to him. He took a few bites, then threw the dish down on the coffee table.

"You call this food! It tastes like crap! I'm going out!" he yelled, and stomped down the hall, slamming the front door.

Jena cleaned up the mess. She didn't feel like eating, even though she was a little hungry. Being slapped usually caused her to lose her appetite. She tucked the leftover casserole in the fridge, then got herself ready for the two mile walk to the grocery store.

Mac had felt rather hungry when he finally finished the files he had been reading. He had gone to make some dinner, and found that he was out of food, which was why he was in the grocery store now. He was picking out some green peppers when he saw a familiar figure grabbing a 10 pound bag of potatoes and putting it in her cart. He recognized the clothes, it was Jena. But she was wearing an extra baggy trench coat as well. He wondered what someone her age was doing out at this time of night, and decided to follow her. She stopped at the meat section, and selected a medium sized ham, which she made disappear into her coat. Mac couldn't believe his eyes. She also performed magic on a bag of chicken legs, and a small roast. He followed her into the cereal isle, and startled her when he approached her from behind, making her drop a box of crackers.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You're Jena, right? Here you go," he reached down, then handed her the box of crackers.

Mac noticed that her right cheek was redder than the other. He had a hunch, but knew he couldn't do anything until he had confirmation.

"M-m-mr. M-m-macGyver. N-n-nice t-t-to s-s-see y-y-you," she said nervously.

"Ah. No Mr. Just MacGyver. Ok?"

Jena nodded.

"What are you doing here on a school night?" he queried.

"M-my d-d-dad h-h-had t-t-to g-go out, s-s-so I'm j-j-just p-p-picking up a f-f-few t-things."

"I noticed you put a few items into your coat. I know you probably need them. Would you at least let me pay for them? I don't want you getting arrested for it."

Jena hung her head down. She had been caught, and was extremely embarrassed. Mac lifted her chin with his finger.

"Look. It's okay. I know you probably wouldn't do it unless you had to. Let's just get it out of your coat before the clerk comes back."

She nodded, and while Mac gave her cover, she retrieved the items from the coat and placed them into the shopping cart.

"T-t-that's it," she said softly. He added up the cost of the meat, then fished a $20 bill out of his wallet.

"That should cover it."

"T-t-thanks. I'll p-pay y-y-you b-b-back as s-s-soon as I-I c-c-can."

"You don't have to pay me back. Just promise me you won't do that again. It's not worth it. If you need something, just ask me and I'll try to help. Okay?"

A tear streamed down her cheek, and she quickly brushed it away.

"O-ok. I-I a-appreciate t-t-that."

Mac gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her shoulder.

Jena paid for the meat first, and tried to give Mac back his change.

"No. You keep it."

"B-b-but…."

"I insist. Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for? Right?"

Jena smiled, then paid for the rest of the groceries. She put the heavy stuff in her pack sack, and ended up with two small plastic bags to carry.

"Can I give you a ride home? Where do you live?" he queried, while he packed his groceries.

"N-n-near E-east T-t-third and S-s-san P-p-pedro S-s-street."

"You walked all that way at this time of night?" he asked, amazed.

"I-I a-always d-d-do. A-about once a-a w-week."

Mac was dumbfounded.

"Come on, I'll give you a ride home," he offered.

"O-o-ok. T-t-thanks."

Mac led her over to his truck, and he helped her lift her pack sack into the truck. "Gee that's heavy!" he exclaimed.

"I-it's n-not t-t-that b-b-bad. Y-you g-g-get used t-t-to it."

Mac just shook his head in amazement.

They both got into the truck and Mac easily found his way to her address. He grabbed the pack sack while she got the two bags.

"I-I c-c-can t-take it n-now."

"That's ok. I'll bring it up for you."

Jena was glad that he was carrying it, she _was_ a little tired. On the other hand, she was embarrassed that he would see where she was living. She shrugged her shoulders and started up the stairs. Mac's senses were assaulted by the noises and smells. He could hear a number of conversations behind the paper thin walls, and some yelling as well. The putrid smell of urine and garbage was almost too much to bear. He swore he could see a rat or two hiding underneath all the garbage. Jena stopped in front of her apartment door and held out her hand for the pack sack.

"T-t-thanks f-f-for c-carrying it up."

"No problem and listen..." Mac scrawled out his work and home phone number on a piece of paper..." if you ever need to talk, or need some help, I want you to call me. Anytime. Okay?"

"S-s-sure M-mac. T-t-thanks a-a-again. S-s-see y-you t-t-tomorrow."

"Bright and early," replied Mac, as he headed down the stairs.

Once Jena knew he couldn't see inside, she unlocked the door and slipped into the apartment.

Mac had almost ran down the stairs to get away from the smell. 'How in hell does she handle it?' he thought to himself. He inhaled deeply when he got outside, feeling a little less nauseous as he breathed in the night air. He got behind the wheel of his truck and reflected on the evening. He just wished that there was more that he could do for her. But until she admitted something was wrong, he would have to wait on the sidelines until she reached out. He just hoped that she wouldn't ask for help when it was too late.

Jena was embarrassed that MacGyver had caught her shoplifting, but was glad he didn't turn her in. Somehow she would try to get $20 to pay him back. She memorized the two numbers MacGyver gave her, then tucked the paper away in her book bag. Her dad never snooped in there, as far as she knew. She quickly put away the groceries, then did some homework and went to bed.

Jena heard the front door slam and her father's footsteps tromping down the hall. She groaned when she looked over at the clock and saw that it was about 3:30 am. He had been coming in at this time of night more and more often and it was becoming to take it's toll on her. She was about to go back asleep when his voice boomed out.

"Jena! Get in here!"

She went to her dad's bedroom, where he was taking off his blood stained shirt. He rolled it into a ball then threw it at her.

"Get the blood out of that so I can wear it tomorrow! I like that shirt."

He laid down on the bed and opened another bottle of scotch.

"Ok dad," she said groggily.

She knew her dad had probably pissed someone off again, and ended up in a bar fight. It wasn't the first time. She let the shirt soak while she opened the freezer and took a drink of Vodka. It made her feel better sometimes. It took thirty minutes before she could get the stain out, and she hung it in the bathroom to dry. She passed her father's room on the way to hers, and found him passed out on the bed, still clutching the opened scotch bottle. Quietly she went in and extracted it from his hand, found the cap, and put it on the end table. She knew what the consequences would be if she didn't do it.


	2. Off the Beaten Path

Quietly she went in and extracted it from his hand, found the cap, and put it on the end table. She knew what the consequences would be if she didn't do it.

**Chapter 2 - Off the Beaten Path**

Jena had a hard time falling back asleep. Before she knew it, her alarm clock was going off. She made a pot of coffee and ate some toast. Her father was still asleep on his bed. She just shook her head and closed his door. She left the coffee on for him, then grabbed her book bag, put her walkman on, and headed off to school.

As usual, Jena was the first one in class. She always arrived at least 30 minutes before class started. She opened a book she brought from home called "Surviving in the Bush", and started to read the first chapter. It had been a few minutes before she realized that someone was reading over her shoulder. She looked up and saw MacGyver smiling and took off her headphones.

"Good morning. You're here early," he gestured.

"G-g-good m-m-morning M-m-macGyver," she said quietly.

"Interesting book?" he queried.

"I-I-It's n-n-not b-b-bad." she replied. "T-t-thanks a-a-again f-for t-the m-m-money and t-the r-ride."

"No problem. Just remember what I told you. If you ever need anything, call me. Okay?" he answered, squeezing her shoulder.

"T-t-thanks. I-I-I a-appreciate t-t-that," she whispered.

"Hey! No problem. That's what friends are for. Right?" he asked.

She nodded, as other students started to file into the classroom. Mac took his cue, and retreated back to his desk to go over the day's lesson. He noticed that a few people said hi to her, and she acknowledged them, but wouldn't speak. 'She probably feels uncomfortable about her stutter,' Mac thought to himself. But now that he had the lines of communication open, maybe he could help her overcome it. The bell rang, he waited a few minutes, then started the day's lesson.

"Ok folks. Today we're going to be learning what kind of basic equipment you need to survive in the bush," he informed them, and continued with the lesson.

About halfway through the class, Mac looked over and saw Jena asleep. Not wanting to cause her any embarrassment, he let her be. When the bell rang for lunch, he casually walked over and shook her.

"H-huh? W-what? Oh……I f-fell asleep, d-d-didn't I?"

Mac nodded.

"Want to talk about it?"

Jena shook her head no.

"Well, if it happens too often, I'll have to talk to your dad about it."

"N-n-no! Y-you c-c-can't! H-he'll……" she hesitated, realising how she sounded. "I-I m-mean, it's o-o-okay. I-It d-d-doesn't h-happen t-that m-m-much. H-h-honest! I'll t-try n-n-not t-to d-d-do it a-again."

Before Mac could say a word, she ran out the room.

Mac decided not to bring it up again. Instead he would try another tactic.

Despite the sleeping incident, the first week was going well. Mac made a special effort to get there early in the morning so he could talk with Jena. He found her to be a very intelligent young woman, who was misunderstood by a lot of people. She still refused to speak during class, but he found that she was opening up to him a bit more. Even the class was going smoothly. They were smart students, eager to learn and even enjoyed the demonstrations.

Jena was enjoying class. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she was a part of something. She tried really hard not to fall asleep in class. Ever since that day, she started drinking two cups of coffee in the morning, and it was helping. Even the walk home even seemed shorter since she started taking the class.

Thursday afternoon started like every other. She quietly entered the apartment, then went to the kitchen to start dishes. Her father was passed out on the couch, again. He still didn't have a job and their social assistant cheque was almost gone. He managed to pay the rent, and the electric bill, but that was all. The phone had been cut off a week ago due to non-payment. While letting the dishes soak, she put the ham in the oven and made baked potatoes and broccoli to go with it. She finished all the dishes, then started to clean, checking on dinner often.

"Jena! Get in here!" he bellowed.

She cringed at his voice, then quickly took a sip of the vodka from the freezer and turned off the oven. When she went into the living room, she found him standing in front of the couch, waving the phone bill.

"What the hell is this?" he roared.

"I t-t-told y-you last w-w-week t-t-that it h-had b-been d-d-disconnected b-b-because y-you d-didn't pay the b-b-bill," she stated firmly.

The sound of the slap echoed through the apartment. She ended up on the floor, but said nothing and got back on her feet. She tasted copper as she felt blood dripping down her chin from her split lip.

"Are you trying to be a smart ass?" he yelled, as he grabbed her left wrist and started to twist it.

"Ow! Ow! S-s-stop it! Y-y-ou're h-hurting m-m-me!" she cried, and he twisted harder, forcing her to her knees.

"Oh stop your crying! You big baby!" he yelled, and pushed her hard into the coffee table, banging her head and chest against it. She landed badly on the floor.

"It's all your fault! Can't you do anything right? I'm tired of looking at you! I'm out of here!" he shouted, then stomped down the hall and slammed the door.

Jena curled in a ball and sobbed. She stayed there for an hour until she felt strong enough to move. She knew she had to get out of there. She sat up and found some change on the coffee table. When she eventually stood up waves of nausea and dizziness started to consume her. She had no idea how she was able to make her way down to the street to the payphone on the corner.

Pete had joined Mac for supper. He was interested to hear about the progress Mac was making with the kids. He wanted to discuss possible sites of where they could take the kids camping. He was about to make a few suggestions when the phone rang. Mac let the machine get it.

"M-m-macGyver….it's J-j-jena. A-are y-y-ou t-t-there?I-I-I n-need s-s-some h-h-help….." she sobbed, and Mac ran to pick up the receiver.

"I'm here Jena. What's wrong?" he queried.

Pete saw Mac's face pale as he listened.

"Where are you?" he paused hearing her answer.

"Stay there. I'll be there as fast as I can," he replied and hung up.

"Come on Pete, I need your help. I'll explain on the way."

Pete nodded and ran out the door with Mac. In no time they were in the lower east side, pulling up to the phone booth on the corner of East Third and San Pedro street. They could see Jena sitting on the floor of the phone booth, hunched over. Mac jumped out and went to her side, shocked by her appearance. Her lip was split and bleeding, there was a bruise forming near her right eye and blood running down her cheek. She was cradling her wrist and her ribs.

"It's ok Jena. I'm here," Mac reassured her, caressing her cheek.

"S-s-sorry...," she gasped.

He ushered her out of the phone booth and into the truck, then grabbed the first aid kit out of the back. Pete drove, while Mac tended to her injuries.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"H-he g-g-ot m-m-m-a-a-a-ddd…." she said weakly.

Mac watched as she slowly lost consciousness.

"Jena!" he tried to shake her awake, to no avail.

"Pete! Step on it! She's passed out!" Mac exclaimed, and cradled her in his arms.

"We're almost there Mac," Pete replied, stepping a little harder on the gas. In no time they were at the Good Samaritan Hospital, and Pete pulled up in front of the emergency entrance, opening Mac's door. Mac carried Jena in his arms as he ran into the emergency department, almost knocking down a nurse.

"I need some help here," he pleaded.

"What happened?" the nurse, Sara, queried as she grabbed an empty stretcher and helped him place Jena on it.

Another nurse came by and took her into a treatment room, while Sara got details from Mac.

"I think she's getting hit by her father…" and Mac continued to tell her what he knew, which wasn't much. He hadn't been able to get a lot of details out of Jena when she had called.

"It'll be okay. She's in good hands," Sara comforted, then went to join her colleagues.

Mac started pacing in the waiting room. Pete got him a tea to try to calm him down, but it didn't have any affect.

"Not your fault Mac," Pete said calmly. "You needed something more concrete before you could do anything."

"But Pete….she could have been seriously hurt! And I just kept letting her go home!" Mac confessed.

Sara reappeared about an hour later and approached them.

"Jena's awake. She has a mild concussion, three cracked ribs and her left wrist is sprained. There's also a number of bruises, but nothing to serious. We've asked her what happened, but she's refusing to talk. Do you think you could give it a go?" she asked.

Mac ran a hand through his hair then nodded, and followed the nurse back to the treatment room. As he approached the stretcher, he could see Jena's eyes full of fear, rimmed with tears and he held her right hand.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

Slowly, Jena explained her father's 'condition' and the verbal and physical abuse she had endured just a few hours before. Mac just shook his head as he tried to keep back his own tears. She slowly got up, and he embraced her in a hug.

"That was very brave of you. I'm proud of you for being so honest. And I want you to know that's he's never going to hurt you again. Okay?" he stated firmly, as he lifted her chin with his finger.

"O-o-kay Mac," she whispered.

He helped her lie back down, then left the room to talk with the doctor.

"She's has a mild concussion, but otherwise she'll be okay. We also found a minute amounts of alcohol in her blood work. Other than that, we'll be releasing her in about an hour or so, after we document her injuries," he informed Mac.

"We've also contacted the authorities. An officer will be here soon to take your statement."

Mac just nodded and went back to update Pete. About 20 minutes later, they saw Police Detective Mike Kiley entering the hospital.

"Hey Mike! How are you doing?" Mac asked.

"I'm good. Thanks Mac" he replied as he shook his hand.

"Are you the one investigating the Hansen case?" he queried.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Why? What do you know about it?" Mike queried. He took notes as Mac started to talk.

"Ok. Thanks Mac. Let me talk to the staff and to Jena, then we'll see what happens."

Mike got the information he needed, and went back to speak with Mac.

"I've contacted my supervisor. Due to the circumstances, I have the authority to give you temporary custody. We haven't been able to find the father yet, the children's welfare office doesn't have any room, and we can't locate any relatives. Would that be all right with you Mac?"

"That would be fine Mike. I appreciate that." If truth be known, Mac was elated just to get her out of there.

Mike was shuffling through the pictures of her injuries.

"Would I be able to have copies of those Mike?" Mac gestured.

"Sure Mac. That won't be a problem. I had a feeling you might want them. They're a little graphic."

Mac just nodded in understanding.

"And, if Jena's feeling up to it, she can go back home and pick up some of her belongings as well," he offered.

Mac thanked him then went to greet Jena, who was being pushed out in a wheelchair, her left arm was in a sling. He squatted down and brushed her cheek with his thumb.

"How are you feeling kiddo?" he queried.

"N-n-not b-b-bad," she replied softly.

"Listen. How would you feel about coming to stay with me for a while?" he asked.

"R-r-really? I-I-I c-can s-s-stay with y-y-you?" she smiled. "Y-y-yes. I'd l-l-like t-t-that….b-b-but I-I d-don't h-h-have m-my s-s-stuff w-w-ith m-me," she gasped, and clenched Mac's hand.

"Well, if you're feeling up to it, Detective Kiley said that we could go pick some of your stuff up, and he would send an officer along with us," Mac stated.

He couldn't help but see her eyes sparkle at the idea.

"O-okay. L-l-let's g-g-go," she said softly.

The nurse discreetly told Mac just to keep an eye on Jena, and to come back if there was any problems.

Mac introduced her to Pete, then they both helped her into the truck. In minutes, they were pulling up in front of her building. Pete kept giving Mac looks as they slowly went up the stairs, noticing the smells and the condition of the building. They met the police officer at the apartment door, and he stood guard while they entered the apartment. Both of the men were at a loss of words. It was worst inside than it was outside. The whole place should have been condemned. Jena must have been reading their minds.

"I-I-it w-w-was all w-w-we c-c-could a-a-fford," she said quietly.

She led them to her bedroom, where she got an old, tattered suitcase out of the closet and laid it on the bed. Mac opened it, while she rifled through her closet and her dresser. She got out a photo album, along with some other personal effects, and a few pieces clothing. The last thing she placed in it was a stuffed Kermit the Frog. Mac smiled.

"S-s-sentimental r-r-reasons," she smiled. He nodded.

"Anything else?" he queried.

"J-j-just my b-b-backpack, a-a-and a f-f-few l-l-little t-things," she said quietly. Mac shut the suitcase, and followed Pete to the living room. Jena went through each room, picking up little things she had forgotten. She opened the door of her father's room and stared at the bed. Mac came up behind her and gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" She nodded, then went to the kitchen.

Mac stood in the doorway and watched as she pulled out the bottle of vodka from the freezer, unscrewed the lid and poured it down the sink. She stood there, looking at the empty bottle and in a sudden burst of anger she threw it against the wall, feeling a little comfort after hearing it shatter into a million pieces. Mac stopped her as she tried to leave.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"A-a l-l-little," she half smiled, and he led her from the room.

"L-l-let's g-g-get t-the h-h-hell o-out of h-here," she whispered. Mac couldn't agree with her more. Him and Pete waited in the corridor while she took one last look at the living room, then closed the door to the apartment.

Within 15 minutes, they were at the houseboat. After a quick tour, Mac had gotten Jena settled into bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out. He went back down and talked to Pete.

"Mac. That place was awful. How could a man subject his daughter to that!" Pete wondered.

"I don't know Pete. I think he's beyond caring about anyone but himself. She only stayed because she didn't have anywhere else to go and tried to make the best of it. But near the end, it was starting to get to her; I think she started to drink. The doctor told me they found a trace amount of alcohol in her system," he confided. Pete just shook his head in amazement.

"Are you okay Mac? I know you have a special friendship with her," he probed.

"Yeah Pete. I'm fine. At least she's out of there," he confessed. "Would you mind taking over class for me tomorrow? I want to be here for Jena."

"Of course Mac. No problem. What's the lesson?"

"I was going to teach them about water safety," Mac answered, giving Pete his notes.

"Sure Mac. Sounds like fun," Pete grinned. "I'll let you know how it goes," he affirmed, as he closed the door.

Mac made a tea, then slipped in one of his western movies, and made himself comfortable on the couch.

Mac was standing by a wall, watching a man hitting a girl in the distance. He tried to stop it, but couldn't move or yell. He could hear the girl yelling..

"No! Stop! No more! Please dad! Nooooo….."

Mac woke up, with sweat pouring off his forehead. He heard Jena's screaming from the bed. He ran up the stairs, and almost leaped over to the bed. She was thrashing in the bed, trying to get away from her imagined attacked. He held her arms as he tried to wake her up.

"Jena! It's okay! You're safe! It's just a dream!" he soothed, stroking her head.

He repeated it until she stopped thrashing, and saw her eyes start to open.

"Where is he? Is he gone?" she asked, gasping for air.

"He's gone baby. He's gone," Mac whispered, as he held her shaking body and rubbing her back.

He had no idea how long he sat there, rocking her. Eventually she fell back to sleep. He tucked her in, then went back down and sat on the couch. In a matter of minutes, he fell asleep.


	3. Searching for Clues

Hi! Thanks for being so patient with me (and you know who you are):) I had a little writer's block, but was able to break it with a sledgehammer...lol! Anyways...I hope you guys/gals are enjoying this and please let me know what you think! I'm still a little unsure of how I'm doing! Thanks!

_Previously:_

He had no idea how long he sat there, rocking her. Eventually she fell back to sleep. He tucked her in, then went back down and sat on the couch. In a matter of minutes, he fell asleep.

**Chapter 3 - Searching for Clues**

Jena woke early the next morning. At first, she couldn't remember where she was, then her injuries reminded her that she was at MacGyver's house. Her head was throbbing, her face was sore, and she was riddled with pain every time she took a deep breath. She went to the washroom, and was surprised at how bad her face looked in the mirror. She cringed as she touched the bruises. After she washed, she went down to the kitchen and got a glass of juice. She had her back turned towards the living room, so she didn't see Mac get up from the couch.

"Good morning. How are you feeling?" he probed.

She dropped the glass in surprise, startled by his greeting.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," she uttered, as she reached for a paper towel to wipe up the juice.

Mac made his way over to where he kept the broom.

"Accidents happen. Don't worry about it!" he smiled, as he reached down to squeeze her shoulder.

She flinched, and brought her arm up to protect her face.

"Hey! It's okay! I'm not going to hurt you!" he assured softly.

"I-it w-w-was r-r-reflex. I'm s-s-sorry!" she lowered in head in embarrassment.

Mac lifted her head up.

"Look, it's going to take a while for you to adjust to a safe environment. I understand that, and there's no need to apologize," he declared, while he wiped a tear from her cheek.

"T-t-thanks." She held the dustpan while Mac swept the broken glass into it.

"I didn't really like that glass anyways," he joked, as he threw it out. Jena snickered.

"So…how are you feeling?" Mac queried as he poured her a new glass of juice, then one for himself.

"A l-l-little s-s-sore. Am I-I a-a-allowed t-t-to h-h-have s-s-some aspirin?"

Mac nodded as he poured her out two aspirin, and handed them to her.

"You're up early," he stated, seeing that it was 6:30 am.

"H-habit. M-my d-d-dad w-would s-still b-b-be sleeping," she answered. "A-are y-y-you g-going to c-c-class t-today?"

"Nope, I'm playing hooky. Got a friend to take over for me, so I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

"C-c-cool."

"Now…what did you want for breakfast? Pancakes? Eggs?"

"A-actually, c-c-could I j-just h-have a p-p-piece of t-t-toast? I-I-m k-kind of n-nauseous."

"Sure. Why don't you go have a seat on the couch and relax?"

"T-thanks."

Mac brought her two pieces of toast, then sat on the couch while she nibbled at it. She put the plate down after eating only one slice.

"Not hungry?"

She shook her head no.

"That's okay. Maybe you'll feel like something later."

"Are you feeling up to answering a few questions for me?"

"S-s-sure. W-what d-d-did y-y-you w-want t-t-to know?"

"When did this all start?"

"M-m-my d-dad w-w-wasn't a-always t-this b-bad. H-he's j-just g-g-gotten w-w-worse t-the p-past f-few y-years. M-my m-m-mom left h-him t-three y-years ago. J-just g-g-got up and l-left. W-we d-d-don't know w-w-where s-s-she is. He w-w-was v-verbally a-b-busive t-to her, and s-sometimes s-s-slapped her. I-I g-g-guess s-s-she g-g-got t-t-tired of h-him. P-prob-b-ably of m-me t-t-too. N-n-ow I-I know h-how s-s-she f-f-felt. H-he s-s-started d-drinking m-more and m-more a-after t-t-that. N-n-now, h-he c-c-can't g-go even a d-d-day w-w-without it."

A tear escaped, and slid slowly down her cheek. Mac gently cupped her faced, and wiped the tear away with his thumb.

"I don't think your mom got tired of you. She probably felt that she had no option but to leave you behind. For what it's worth, I'm sorry you had to go through that."

He tried to give her a hug, but she cringed at the gestured. She read the look of disappointment on his face and instantly burst into tears.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry….n-n-not used t-to p-p-people h-hugging me."

Mac held her in his arms and cradled her. His own tears of frustration could be seen in his eyes. After a few minutes, her sobs quieted and she broke contact.

He took her face in his hands.

"You're safe here. I'm not going to hurt you. If something makes you feel uncomfortable, I want you to tell me. Okay?"

She nodded, then laid her head on his shoulders. Mac took the blanket and covered her, and within minutes, she was asleep. He sat there for about an hour, until he heard a knock at the door. He gently moved her to the side, then got up to answer it. It was Mike Kiley. Mac stepped onto the porch and closed the door so he wouldn't disturb Jena.

"Hi Mac. I've got an update for you."

"Let's have it."

"Well, after Bill Hansen left the apartment, he went to his favourite watering hole, The Rusty Bucket, and started downing them. He started a fight in the bar, and the cops were called. He was arrested and brought down to the station and placed in a cell. Unfortunately, there was some kind of mix up with the files, and he ended up being released. That was at about 8:00 this morning. We have an APB (All Points Bulletin) out on him, but we can't seem to find him. I was wondering if you would mind if I asked Jena a few questions? Maybe she could give us a lead?"

"Let 's how she feels first, then we'll take it from there." Mac suggested. He didn't want to push Jena into anything if she wasn't up to it.

He gently shook her awake, and watched her open her eyes.

"W-well, at l-l-least it w-w-wasn't in c-c-class t-t-this t-time. H-huh?" she smirked.

Mac snickered a little at her humour, then sat down beside her with a serious look on his face.

"What is it? What did he do?" she queried. Mac held her hand.

"Detective Kiley needs some information about your dad. Are you up to answering some questions for him?" Jena nodded, and Mac explained what had happened.

"I've seen matchbooks from The Belmont, The Park, and The Nash Hotel. I know he likes to frequent those places. You should also try the apartment, he might have gotten in using the fire escape. He did it once before when he lost his keys."

"That's a great help Jena. Thank you," replied Mike, and he left to follow up on the leads.

She ended up sleeping for most of the day. Mac let her be and did some odd jobs around the house, then caught up on some files for work. Pete came by at about 4:00 to let Mac know how his day went.

"They are a great bunch of kids Mac. They were inquisitive and knowledgeable. I was impressed."

Jena had just woken from her nap when she heard Pete speaking to Mac. She rose from the couch and came over. "H-hi M-mr. T-t-thorton," she said softly. "I-I j-j-just w-w-wanted t-to t-thank y-you b-both f-for h-h-helping m-me l-last n-n-night. I-I'm s-s-sorry if I-I ruined y-y-your e-evening," and lowered her head in embarrassment.

"There's no need to apologize Jena. You didn't do anything wrong and it wasn't your fault. Okay?" Pete coaxed, as held her at arms length. "And please, call me Pete."

She nodded.

"O-okay..….P-Pete. T-t-thanks."

"W-would I-I b-be able t-t-to t-t-take a s-s-shower Mac?"

"Sure. Let me get you a towel." Mac went upstairs and handed her a clean towel from his laundry basket. He helped her take off the sling, and the tensor bandage on her wrist.  
"T-thanks. I-I g-g-got it f-f-from h-h-here," she half smiled.

Mac heard the water running, then went back down to join Pete.

"How is she doing?" Pete queried.

"She's been sleeping most of the day. But she's filled me in a little more on her family situation."

"And…."

Mac gave him an abbreviated version of what Jena had told him. Pete just shook his head.

"Any news on her father?"

He briefed Pete on Mike's visit. Jena came down a few minutes later, hair damp, and dressed in a jogging suit.

"Feel better?"

"A l-l-little, y-yeah. C-c-could y-you h-h-help m-me r-r-rewrap m-my w-w-wrist t-t-though? I-I'm h-having a l-little t-t-trouble w-with it."

"No problem. And I was thinking about hamburgers and fries for supper. What do you think?" Mac asked, hoping she had built up an appetite.

"I t-t-think I c-c-could h-handle a f-few f-f-fries."

"Still not hungry?"

Jena shook her head no.

Mac finished her wrist, then adjusted the sling. He started to prep dinner, with Pete's help, and Jena sat and watched, making small talk.

They had a quiet dinner, with Jena only picking at her French fries. She just wasn't that hungry. As Mac was washing dishes, he got a phone call from Mike Kiley.

"We got him Mac. We found him at The Nash, he was hiding in one of the corner booths."

"That's good news Mike," Mac admitted.

"But….he wants to see Jena. Apparently, he wants her to see someone about bailing him out."

"You've got to be kidding me?"

"Apparently he doesn't remember what he did to her. He just knows that for some reason he can't get a hold of her at home. Would you mind bringing Jena down to the station so he can see her?"

Mac tried to hold down his anger, but it wasn't easy.

"I don't know about that Mike. I'll have to ask Jena. Hold on."

Mac briefed her on the situation, and was amazed that she agreed to see him.

"You don't have to if you don't want to you know?"

"I-I k-k-know. I a-appreciate it. B-b-but I-I h-h-have t-to d-d-do this."

Mac relayed her answer to Mike, and told him they would be down within the hour and hung up the phone.

While Jena was drying her hair in the washroom, Pete finally spoke his mind.

"You don't think she's going to bail him out? Do you?"

"No Pete. I don't. I think she's tired of his act in general. I just hope he learns from this and finally gets some help for his problems."

"Y-you and m-m-me b-b-both," Jena added, as she stood at the bottom of the stairs dressed in blue jeans and a shirt she borrowed from Mac's closet.

"Jena! I'm sorry. I was just…." Mac apologized, embarrassed at being caught stating his thoughts out loud.

Jena put up her hand to stop him.

"I-It's o-o-okay Mac. Y-y-you h-have n-n-no idea h-how m-m-many t-t-times I've w-w-wished f-f-for t-the s-same t-t-thing. A-and y-yes, I a-am t-t-tired o-of it. I a-am t-tired of m-m-moving e-every s-s-six m-months, t-t-tired of h-his d-d-drinking, and t-tired of h-him h-h-hitting m-me."

She gasped in pain as she tried to take in a deep breath.

"Ow! D-damn it!"

Mac went to her side, but she brushed him off.

"I-it's o-okay. I k-keep f-forgetting t-that I-I'm n-not s-s-supposed t-to g-get u-upset or t-talk a l-lot," she joked, half smiling.

"You sure?"

"Y-yep. I g-g-guess w-w-we s-s-should g-go."

Pete wished them well, then left for home while Mac drove Jena to the police station. Once there, Mike took them into his office and briefed them on what was happening.

"We've laid formal charges of abuse and battery of a minor, as well as drunk and disorderly misconduct in a public place. He also has a few warrants for his arrest from Arizona, for failure to appear in court for driving under the influence, under suspension and without insurance. Did you know about that?"

"N-no. I-I d-d-didn't. H-he t-told m-m-me t-t-that h-he h-had s-sold t-t-the c-car b-b-because w-w-we c-couldn't afford it."

"Well, if he's found guilty, he'll be serving 5 to 10 years in prison for his crimes."

"B-but w-what h-h-happens t-to m-me. D-d-do I g-go into f-f-foster c-care? Or c-can I-I g-g-get m-my own p-p-place?"

"Unfortunately, since you're only 15, you're still to young to be out on your own. I'll discuss all the options that are available to you later. But how would you feel staying with me for a while?" Mac offered.

"R-r-really? A-are y-you s-s-sure?"

"Yes! I'm sure. If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have offered. So what do you say?" Mac encouraged with a smile, and gave her a slight hug.

"Okay!" she said quietly. "I-I'll t-try n-not embarrass y-you."

Mac leaned over and palmed her cheek.

"You could never embarrass me Jena. And I think after you had a few days to think about things, you'll realize that you are not as bad of a person as you think, maybe just a little confused. You just need a little encouragement."

"T-t-thanks f-f-for b-believing in m-me," she said so quietly, Mac had to strain to hear it. She wiped a tear away, then took a little breath.

"S-s-so w-where is h-he?"

"Right now he's being held with the general population. We're in the process of moving him to an interrogation room for your visit and there will be a uniformed officer present as well."

"Mac c-can y-you c-c-come in w-w-with m-me? I d-don't w-want t-t-to b-be alone w-w-with h-him."

"Actually, I was hoping you'd ask Mac. No one wants you in there by yourself. And since he technically is your guardian, he has a right to be present in the room."

Mac nodded in agreement with Mike, and could see a look of relief pass over her face as she gave a little smile.

"Ok. I-I g-g-guess I-I'm r-ready. L-let's g-get t-this o-o-over w-w-with."


	4. The Path Not Taken

_Sorry for the delay, I had a bit of a writer's block. I promise that the next chapter will be up sooner than this one was. I also wanted to say thanks for the review. I know that Mac getting temporary custody of Jena is a bit of a stretch, but I tried to make it as real as possible. Mac has had "temporary custody" of kids before, or at least "released into his custody". Since Jena has no known relatives, except her father, and that Children's Services couldn't take her because they had no room, Mac became the obvious choice. _

_Previously:_

"Actually, I was hoping you'd ask Mac. No one wants you in there by yourself. And since he technically is your guardian, he has a right to be present in the room."

Mac nodded in agreement with Mike, and could see a look of relief pass over her face as she gave a little smile.

"Ok. I-I g-g-guess I-I'm r-ready. L-let's g-get t-this o-o-over w-w-with."

Chapter 4 - The Path Not Taken

Mike led Jena and Mac into the interrogation room.

In a matter of minutes, her father was brought in by an uniformed officer, his wrists and ankles were shackled together with lengths of chains. He sat down heavily on the metal folding chair, giving dirty looks to the guard, and to Mac, who was standing in the corner.

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name's MacGyver. I'm your daughter's substitute teacher."

"And why are you here?" Bill snapped.

"Because your daughter's been staying at my place."

"Why? She should be at home, taking care of things until I can get out!"

"She's too young to be on her own. Besides, it's not really a good environment to be raising a kid in, is it?"

"Just stay out of my business buddy!" He turned his attention back to Jena.

"I need you to get a hold of Eddie. You can find him at The Rusty Bucket. He owes me money," he said gruffly.

"I-I c-cant't d-do t-that! T-they aren't l-l-letting y-you out. T-they're l-laying c-charges a-a-against y-you f-for what y-y-you d-did t-to m-m-me!"

"I didn't do nothing to you! What kind of lies have you telling them?"

"D-don't y-y-you r-remember? Y-you h-hit m-me! Y-you g-got angry b-b-because the p-phone g-got d-d-disconnected!"

"I never hit you. You tripped and fell on the coffee table after I went out. Now quit lying to me and get me outta here!"

Jena just sat there in shock. She couldn't believe that he didn't really remember what he did! Tears started to brim her eyes.

"I'm afraid she's right, Mr. Hansen," Mike informed him. "We're going to be holding you till Monday when you see the judge for your bail hearing. The defence attorney is going to suggest that you be held without bail because of your criminal record. As it stands, you're being charged with assault and battery of a minor, being drunk in public, striking a police officer and obstruction. And once you are found either innocent or guilty, an officer will be taking you back to Arizona to face charges ranging from drunk driving and evading police to fraud. You're looking at a total of ten years in prison, at least."

"TEN YEARS!!!!!" he yelled. He suddenly stood up and tried to swing his arm back. The guard quickly subdued him and forced him to sit back down, while giving him a verbal warning. Mac quickly took a few protective steps towards Jena.

"That's right, Mr. Hansen," Mike replied calmly.

"You and your big mouth! This is all your fault! You're worthless! You're a loser!" he hollered at her, watching her slunk down in the chair.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!" Mac yelled, slamming his hands on the table. "Jena had nothing to do with this. She's an intelligent girl who needs a good home and a loving father, not someone who uses her as his punching bag! If you want to blame someone - blame yourself! You have problems Mr. Hansen, and you need to get help for it before you end up killing someone!"

"Get him out of here!" Mike ordered. The officer quickly took him away, while Mac knelt down beside Jena, who was hunched over the table and sobbing.

"W-why? W-w-why d-does h-he h-have t-t-to b-be….l-like…..t-t-this?….I-I…..j-just…..w-wanted……t-to……" she gasped, and started to hyperventilate.

"Jena…it's okay. Try to slow down your breathing." Mac put his hand on her shoulder while she fought to regain her breath.

"I…..hate……him," she sputtered, still breathing too fast.

"Come here," he coaxed, and took her into his arms. "How about we get out of here?"

"'kay…," she said quietly, still sobbing.

Mac picked her up and quickly walked through the station, and brought her outside to his truck. Mike opened the truck door while Mac placed her in and helped her put on the seat belt.

"Thanks Mike."

"I'm sorry Mac. I had no idea….."

Mac put up his hand. "It's okay. I don't think any of us did, I'm just going to take her home."

Mac made it home in record time. He looked over and saw that Jena had fallen asleep. He brought her inside and laid her on the couch, covering her with a blanket. She ended up waking up a few minutes later.

"H-hi," she said softly.

"Hey! How are you doing?"

"S-still t-tired. C-can I g-go t-t-to b-bed?"

"Sure. Come on, I'll walk you up."

Jena made her way up the stairs, and sat down heavily on the bed. Mac could only imagine how she must be feeling. He helped her take off the sling and the bandage, then handed a nightie to her.

"Need anything else? A cup of hot chocolate? Pizza?"

"N-no. I'm g-good. B-but t-thank y-you - f-for b-being there, f-for h-helping m-me and f-f-for t-taking m-me in."

She stood up and gave him a quick hug. Mac was surprised, but relieved that she was starting to feel safe.

"It's okay Jena. I'm just glad I could help."

When Mac went back to check up on her 10 minutes later, he found her curled in a ball on the bed under the covers. He tucked her in, and lifted a strand of hair off her face and behind her ear. He went downstairs, and decided to call Pete with an update. Pete was not impressed, to say the least, and wondered what Mac's next move was going to be.

"I don't know Pete. I think that's up to Jena to be honest. If she's feeling better tomorrow, I'm going to sit her down and talk about her options."

"Well, if you need any help Mac, let me know. I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Pete. I appreciate that. I may end up taking you up on that. Talk to you tomorrow."

Mac made himself a tea, and put in one of his western movies. He fell asleep halfway through it.

Mac awoke to the sun streaming in through the window. He saw that it was 8:30 am, and was pleased that Jena was sleeping in for once. He went to the kitchen and started to make some blueberry pancakes, hoping the smell would entice her to eat. Just as he slipped the last pancake in the oven to keep warm, Jena came down the stairs, then sat on the other side of the counter.

"Morning! How did you sleep?"

"P-pretty g-good. I c-can't r-remember t-the last t-t-time I s-slept t-that w-w-well."

"I hope you're hungry."

"A-actually, I am. A l-l-little."

Mac served her breakfast, making sure to cut the pancakes for her so she wouldn't have a problem eating them. It was a quiet meal. Jena was able to eat two pancakes before she got full.

"T-that w-was g-g-good. T-thanks Mac."

"You're welcome," he said, as he rinsed off the dishes and placed them in the sink.

"C-can w-we t-t-talk a-about y-yesterday? I h-have a f-few questions."

"Sure. What did you want to know?"

"W-well, w-what are m-m-my options? I know I-I w-won't b-be g-going b-back to m-my f-father's p-place?"

Mac came around to her side, and sat down beside her.

"No. You definitely _won't _be going back there, and they haven't found your mother. Mike looked into Social Services and foster care, but there's a shortage of homes. But there are a few options we can look over. The first one is that I can apply for full guardianship of you. But, if they happen to find your mother, then that will be nullified, and you'll live with her."

"B-but t-there's no g-g-guarantee y-you'll g-get it. I-Is t-there?

"No, you're right, there is no guarantee that I'll get it."

"B-but there's a c-chance t-t-that t-they w-wont find m-my m-mother. I m-mean, s-shouldn't t-they h-have found h-her b-by n-now?"

"It's beginning to look like that she doesn't want to be found. We've tried tracing her Social Security number, but there's been no record since she left you. Mike and I both think that she might have changed her name and gone into hiding because of your father. Jena lowered her head a little, trying to work through the information and nodded.

"There's also one other choice. It's a bit of a long shot, but it might be your best bet. It's called emancipation. It means that you get a divorce from your parents and are technically classified as an adult. You can vote, get a driver's license, anything that an adult can do, except drink. And you don't need your parent's permission to do it, the judge will consider your circumstances, then decide. Now, if you did go that route, you are more than welcomed to stay here. You can continue to go to school, and if you want, get a part-time job."

"I t-think e-emancipation m-might b-be m-m-my b-best choice. I-I k-know I'm n-not r-ready t-t-to b-be on m-my own, a-and I t-think I w-would l-like s-staying here," she smiled. "S-so….w-what's the n-next s-step?"

"We have to get in touch with a lawyer, so he can represent you when we present your case. I'll call Pete and see if he can recommend one."

"B-but w-won't t-that c-cost a l-lot?"

Mac cupped her cheek. "I don't want you to worry about money, ok? I just want what's best for you."

"I f-feel g-g-guilty, l-like I s-should b-be d-doing more to p-pull m-my own w-weight," her head lowered, embarrassed that she had no money of her own.

Mac lifted her chin up with his finger.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're a kid, and you deserve the chance to be a kid. You've been taking care of your father for the last three years, right?" Jena nodded. "Well, now it's time for someone to take care of you. So don't worry about money or "having to pull your own weight", just be a kid. Ok?" he reassured.

"I-I'm n-not s-sure if I k-know how?" she shamefully admitted.

Mac reached over and grasped her hand.

"Well, I'm not sure on how to be a guardian, so I guess we'll be learning together," he grinned.

She smiled a little, but Mac could see that something was still bugging her. "What's wrong?" he probed.

"It's n-nothing, r-really."

"If this is going to work, we're going to have to be honest with each other. That means we both have to open up, and tell the other what's on our mind. I don't want you to be afraid to talk to me."

"I w-was t-t-thinking about w-what m-my d-dad said t-to me y-yesterday, and t-that m-maybe h-he's r-right, t-that I am a-a-a loser. I s-s-stutter, I d-d-don't h-have a-any f-friends and n-n-now, I've p-put m-my f-father in j-j-jail," she muttered quietly.

Mac shook his head, he couldn't believe what he just heard.

"First of all, you didn't put your dad in jail, he put himself in there. You heard the crimes he committed, he did it to himself. Secondly, and most importantly, you are **not **a loser. You've dealt with a lot during the last three years, and had to grow up faster than normal. You're a beautiful, young woman who's just misunderstood. I wish you wouldn't be so hard on yourself. I know your dad has said things that have been damaging to your self-esteem…. would you consider seeing a therapist? Just to work out some of those feelings and get them off your chest."

"I've t-thought about it, e-especially l-lately. I w-wouldn't m-mind s-s-seeing s-someone, m-maybe a f-female o-one. And….m-maybe a s-speech t-therapist?"

"That's a good idea. I'll talk to the school, and see if they have some kind of speech therapy class that you can take. I'll also see if Pete knows a good therapist," Mac volunteered.

"P-Pete knows a l-lot of p-people, d-doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does."

Jena sat quietly on the stool while Mac made his phone calls. She realized that her life had changed tremendously in the past few days, but that it had slowly started to get better since he wasn't around. She just hoped she wouldn't be a disappointment to Mac and Pete.


	5. Riding Out the Storm

_Thanks for being so patient with me! I hope you're enjoying the story! I know I haven't specified a year for this storyThis chapter wasn't allowing me to stop. I hope it's not too long or dragged out for you guys/gals!_

Previously:

"P-Pete knows a l-lot of p-people, d-doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does."

Jena sat quietly on the stool while Mac made his phone calls. She realized that her life had changed tremendously in the past few days, but that it had slowly started to get better since **he** wasn't around. She just hoped she wouldn't be a disappointment to Mac and Pete.

Chapter 5 - Riding out the Storm

Mac finished making his phone calls and sat back down beside Jena.

"Pete said he'd look into the therapist for you, although it's going to take a day or two because it's Sunday. As for the lawyer, he's going to call a friend of his to see if he's available, who specializes in these types of cases. Once he finds out, then he'll get back to us.

"S-sounds good M-Mac." She hesitated a few moments, then asked, "S-since all t-the s-students h-have the d-d-day off t-t-tomorrow, d-do y-you think t-that w-we c-can go to m-my d-d-dad's bail h-hearing?"

"I don't see why not. I had a feeling that you might want to go."

"I g-guess it's a k-kind of c-closure for m-me. It w-will p-probably be the l-last t-time I s-see h-him."

Mac nodded in agreement as he got up to answer the phone. After listening a few minutes, he wrote down a number, thanked Pete and hung up.

"That was Pete. The lawyer was intrigued with the case and is willing to take you on as a client. He's willing to come over now and talk to you, are you up for it?"

She nodded in response. "S-sure."

"Why don't you go get dressed while I call him then?"

"O-okay. T-thanks M-Mac."

Mac called the lawyer, who stated that he would come by in 30 minutes to talk to them. After he hung up, he retrieved the copies of the pictures of Jena's injuries from the shelf in the living room, and set them on the coffee table. Jena came back down about 15 minutes later, she was still a little pale from her injuries, but wasn't in as much pain. Mac adjusted the tensor bandage and sling for her, then started boiling water for tea. About ten minutes later, Mac opened the door to find a tall man, about 40, dressed in khakis and a short sleeved t-shirt.

"MacGyver…I'm Dave Peck," and shook Mac's hand.

"Come on in. This is Jena," he introduced, then offered refreshments as Dave sat in the armchair, and Jena sat on the couch.

"Do you mind if I tape this conversation Jena? I don't want to miss any details," Dave asked.

"N-no, t-that's okay. G-go ahead."

"So, Mr. Thorton and MacGyver tells me you're interested in emancipation. Can you tell me why?" Dave probed.

Mac sat down beside Jena and held her hand while she told the whole story. She wiped her eyes at the end of it.

"Y-you'd t-think I'd b-be s-so use t-to this b-b-by n-now t-that I w-wouldn't c-cry as much," she joked half-heartedly.

"There's nothing wrong with it. It's just part of the healing process," Mac coaxed.

"It's perfectly natural for what you've been through Jena. Personally, I think you're very brave. This is a big step you're taking," Dave urged.

"T-thanks."

"I think you have a very strong case here Jena. But there's still a few things I need . Do you have any pictures of where you were living with your father?"

Her face paled at the question. She swallowed then replied, "N-no. I-I d-don't. B-but I g-guess I , I m-mean w-we, c-can go b-b-back and t-take some. C-can't w-we Mac?"

"Of course. I don't have a problem with that. I can go by myself if you prefer not to go?"

"No. I h-have t-to g-go, I k-know w-where e-every f-flaw is in t-that p-place."

"Ok. As long as your sure," Mac offered.

"That's good, thank you Jena. I know it's not easy for you. And there's one more thing, are there any pictures of your injuries that I can have?" Mac handed him the envelope off the table.

"I had a friend of mine at the police department make copies for me the night Jena was at the hospital."

Jena looked a little shocked, then nodded in understanding. "C-c-can I s-see t-those?"

Dave handed the envelope over, and Jena took out the pictures, studying each one carefully, then placed them face down on the table.

"E-excuse m-me," she said quietly, as she got up and made her way to the bathroom. Dave picked up the pictures and went through them, while Mac went up to check on Jena. He could hear running water, and gagging noises coming from inside the washroom.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm f-f-fine Mac. I'll b-b-be back d-down in a f-few m-minutes."

Mac went back down and sat on the couch.

"Is she okay?" Dave asked.

Mac nodded. "As okay as someone can be in this situation."

"I can see why she got sick. The pictures tell a lot, they'll be a big help for her case." Mac just nodded as Jena came and sat down beside him. She grasped his hand.

"Are you okay?" Dave asked. She just nodded her head in acknowledgement. "You have a very strong case. I can't see any reason for the judge not to give you emancipation. "

"T-that's g-good to h-hear. I a-appreciate it, Mr. P-Peck."

"Please, call me Dave."

"O-okay, D-Dave."

"Are you going to your father's bail hearing tomorrow?"

Jena nodded.

"Ok. I'll be there, gathering some more information for your case."

"Ok Dave. Thanks. By the way, what's your fee?" Mac asked.

Dave smiled.

"There is none. I owed Pete a favour. I told him the only way I would take this case is if I took it pro bono."

Jena smiled. Despite what Mac had told her, she was greatly relieved.

"T-thank y-you D-Dave. I'm v-very g-grateful," as she shook his hand.

"Yes Dave, thanks," Mac offered.

"No problem. See you kids at the courthouse tomorrow at 9 a.m." and left.

"See. Nothing to worry about."

"It's r-really h-h-happening, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Are you all right with it?"

"I g-g-guess I h-have t-to b-be…..I d-don't r-r-really h-have a c-choice do I?"

"Not really, no." Mac leaned over and hugged her. "I promise you, if I thought there was a better way, I'd tell you. But if you need to talk, I hope you remember that I'm here for you."

"T-thanks Mac. I g-guess w-w-we s-should g-go and get t-those p-pictures huh?"

"Good idea. And maybe stop off at the mall and pick you up a few more clothes….I noticed that a few of them looked quite worn out when I was doing the wash."

"R-r-really? N-new c-clothes? I'd l-l-love t-that! M-my d-d-dad w-would buy c-clothes f-from the S-salvation Army s-store and w-w-would try t-to pass them o-off as s-slightly used. B-but I k-knew b-b-better. Any m-money h-he saved on t-the c-c-clothes w-would g-go to his b-booze."

"I'm sorry Jena. It's….." Mac was cut off as Jena held up her hand. "I k-know. I know. It w-w-wasn't r-right. It's o-okay Mac. It's j-just n-nice to have s-someone to t-talk to about it," she smiled.

"All right, as long as you remember that you deserve to be treated so much better than that, okay? Are you ready to go then?"

"S-sure. The s-sooner w-we f-finish the p-pictures, the s-sooner w-we get t-to g-go s-shopping!" she snickered as she saw Mac rolling his eyes. She put her hand on his arm.

"I p-promise. I w-won't g-go overboard….or m-make y-you uncomfortable."

"Well…thank you. But I want you to have fun, okay?" Jena nodded, and they made their way to her old apartment.

It only took them 30 minutes to take pictures of the condition of the old apartment. The super had been nice enough to let them in, once Mac explained that they were there to pick up her clothes and some of her personal belongings. Jena knew that Mac didn't have much of choice but to lie…they needed the pictures. She found a few more personal effects that she wanted to take, then showed Mac all the bad spots. Mac just kept shaking his head, he couldn't believe that people actually lived like this. He realized that money, or lack of, had a lot to do with it, but when Jena told him that they were paying $700 plus utilities for this place….he was floored. Mac quickly finished up, making sure to take pictures of the dead rat under the sink. It was about the size of a small house cat. Jena came along and saw the look on his face, then looked under the sink.

"Y-yeah. I k-know. T-that used t-to b-b-bother m-me t-too. Usually I-I w-would w-w-wear a l-long s-sleeve shirt and g-grab a p-p-plastic b-bag then t-t-throw it in. It w-w-was m-my j-job to 'd-dispose' of a-any d-d-dead r-rats I f-found."

"That isn't a job for a teenager! You shouldn't have ever had to do it to start with!" Mac griped. Jena took a step back, she had no idea that all of this was affecting Mac so much. He saw her move back and quickly realized his mistake. He got up and held her at arms length.

"Jena, I'm sorry. It's just you're suppose to enjoy your teenage years…not spend it cleaning up dead rats."

"W-well, t-that's w-why we're h-here isn't it, t-to c-change t-that?"

"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry I reacted so badly."

"Mac, it's o-okay. I g-guess I'm s-s-so used to it t-that I f-forget it m-must b-b-be a s-shock t-to anyone n-new t-to the s-situation."

"Thanks, I'll try to be a little more understanding and not fly off the handle." He took a look around. " I guess that just about does it. Did you get everything you wanted?"

Jena nodded. "Let's g-go s-shopping!"

Mac just laughed.

"You're really looking forward to this, aren't you?"

"Y-yes. I am. W-which r-reminds me…I h-have to p-pick up s-some n-new underwear," she stated with a serious look. Mac's face blanched.

"Maybe I should just give you money and let you go by yourself?" he suggested, as he started to blush, the discomfort written all over his face.

Jena couldn't hold it in any longer, and burst out laughing.

"I'm j-just t-teasing Mac. Y-you c-can g-go t-to h-hardware w-while I g-get the u-undergarments," she snickered.

"Oh you! I'm going to get you for that! Come on…let's get out of here," as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, while carrying the box of personal effects in his right one.

Shopping with a teenager was a new experience for Mac, but he had to admit, Jena was very conscientious when it came to buying clothes. After they dropped off the film to get it developed, they made a bee line to the woman's department. She knew exactly what she wanted and searched the racks for any sales, and even found a nice pair of dress shoes for $20. Mac busied himself in hardware while she picked up a few undergarments and some personal hygiene products. After an hour of shopping, Jena found everything she needed, and met Mac in the Photo department, picking up the pictures of the apartment.

"All set?"

"Y-yep. I g-got everything I n-needed. T-thanks Mac," as they head towards the check out. Mac noticed her starting to pale as they were waiting in line. He looked at his watch, and realized it had been a few hours since either of them had eaten.

"Are you okay?" as he reached out to steady her.

"J-just a l-little d-d-dizzy. I g-guess I s-should h-have e-eaten s-s-something b-before w-we left y-your place."

Mac nodded.

"Why don't we have lunch at the bistro around the corner? If you're up to it that is?"

"S-sounds g-good."

They only had to wait a few more minutes until they got through the check out, then Mac grabbed the bags with one hand, while guiding Jena with his other to the truck. Soon they were in the bistro, giving their orders to the waitress.

"I g-g-guess I s-should h-have t-told y-you this s-s-sooner. I'm n-n-not able t-to e-eat any t-type of f-f-fish. I'm h-highly a-a-allergic t-to it, and t-t-to insect s-s-stings t-too."

"Do you have an Epi-pen in case you have a reaction?"

She shook her head no. "My d-dad s-said I d-didn't n-need one, it w-wouldn't help."

"Then we'll have to get you one. Do you have a family doctor?" he asked, as the waitress delivered his veggie sub and her hamburger and fries.

"N-no. H-honestly, I c-can't r-remember the l-last t-time I w-went t-to one."

"After court tomorrow, I'll call mine and see if he's taking patients. I'd like you to have a full physical, just to make sure you're okay. And he can check to see how your healing," he gestured.

Jena rolled her eyes at the mention of going to the doctor.

"Y-yes s-s-sir!" and gave a mock salute.

Mac chuckled.

"So I guess my tuna casserole is out of the question for tomorrow night?" he joked.

Jena started laughing.

"Y-yes, it is. B-but t-thanks a-anyways."

They finished their meals, and went home, where Mac made some room in the dresser and closet for her clothes.

"I know there's not a lot of space right now, but I hope we can make do until we move to a bigger place."

"D-do w-w-we have t-to move? Can't w-we add on t-t-to the h-houseboat?"

Mac just looked at her.

"I never even thought of that. Tomorrow I'll call an architect to see if that's possible, and I'll talk to the marina to see if they'll allow that."

Jena started to gather up most of her old clothes into a pile.

"W-what do I d-do w-with these? Are t-they g-good enough t-t-to g-give to t-the h-homeless shelter? I k-know it's n-not a l-lot and m-maybe it's d-dumb, b-b-but I t-think s-someone m-might b-be able to use t-them."

Mac was impressed with her generosity.

"It's not dumb, I think it's a nice gesture. Let me throw them into the washer, and maybe we can bring them down tomorrow after court? I've been meaning to bring down a few boxes of clothes myself."

"Ok. I j-just w-wanted t-t-to d-do something f-for t-them. I used t-t-to s-see a l-lot of h-homeless p-p-people w-when I w-walked h-home f-from school."

"You walked four miles to school, then back home, everyday?" he said astonished.

"Y-yes. I d-d-did." she replied, and she started to step backwards, something about the tone in Mac's voice was scaring her. Mac pushed his anger down, noticing that Jena was backing away from him. He calmly went over and put his arm around her.

"Well, that explains why you fell asleep in my class," he chuckled. She laughed with him.

"Y-yes. I g-guess it w-would."

"Did you want to watch a movie? It's still early."

"S-sure. G-got a-any p-p-popcorn?"

Mac laughed. "Yes, I've got popcorn. Why do you pick out a movie while I go make it?"

Jena browsed through his collection, and found one that piqued her interest. She put in the player and set it up, then made herself comfortable on the couch. Mac joined her in a few minutes, with a huge bowl of popcorn and a drink of pop.

"So, what did you find"

"Y-you'll s-s-see," she smiled, as the theme song for Indiana Jones started playing.

"Nice choice!"

The end credits were rolling as Mac got up and turned off the tv. "Well, I guess we should get to bed, we've got an early day tomorrow. He looked at Jena, and saw that she was already fast asleep. He smiled as he lifted her off the couch and brought her to bed, covering her with a blanket.


	6. A Break in the Storm

Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate hearing from you guys/gals!

_He looked at Jena, and saw that she was already fast asleep. He smiled as he lifted her off the couch and brought her to bed, covering her with a blanket. _

Chapter 6 - A Break in the Storm

Mac and Jena were up early, getting ready to go down to the courthouse for her father's hearing. She couldn't figure out why she was so nervous, she just hoped there were no mix-ups and that he be "mistakenly released". She dressed up, wearing a long skirt and a blouse with her new shoes, while Mac settled for jeans and a dress shirt.

"Jena, you look beautiful!" he grinned, as she came down the stairs.

"T-t-thanks M-M-Mac," she blushed, as he adjusted her bandage and sling.

"What would you like for breakfast?"

"J-just a g-g-glass of j-juice p-please? I'm n-n-not t-that h-hungry."

"Nervous?"

"A l-little, y-yeah."

Mac came over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You know, you don't really have to do this."

"I k-know. I c-can't explain it, s-something is t-telling m-me I s-should. I j-just hope t-that they d-don't e-end up r-releasing h-him or s-something."

"Don't worry, I'm sure everything will go the way it's suppose to."

Jena kept fidgeting. No matter what she tried, she couldn't seem to stop. Mac reached over and grasped her hand. They were sitting on the bench in the courtroom, waiting for her father's case to be called. The court clerk announced her father's name, and his legal aid lawyer made his way to the podium in front of the judge, while the guards brought him in from the holding room. Jena couldn't help but lock eyes with him as he scanned the crowd. He stood beside his lawyer, but every now and again he would look in her direction and glare at her, and she felt herself sinking further into the bench, wishing she could disappear. Mac couldn't help but notice the looks she was getting, and held her hand. His lawyer made several valid points as to why he should be released, but in the end, the judge ruled in favour of the District Attorney. Bill Hansen lost his temper, and turned around to face Jena.

"YOU! I wish you had never been born! You're a loser! You'll never amount to anything!" he yelled across the courtroom.

He starting pushing his lawyer and the guards, trying to break free of their grasp. The judge ended up calling a 15 minute recess in order to regain control. She saw him being dragged from the courtroom by security.

"Are you all right?"

Jena just nodded.

"You know he's wrong, don't you?"

"Y-y-yeah."

Dave saw them, and quickly came over to them, putting a hand on Jena's shoulder.

"Hi guys. How are you doing Jena?"

Jena just shrugged her shoulders, still amazed at the amount of anger her father had towards her.

"I guess his lawyer actually thought he had a chance of release, he probably wasn't briefed to your father's record. In any event, it makes your case that much stronger. Which reminds me, we have an appointment with a Judge Banks tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 pm. Is that okay with both of you?"

"That's fine Dave. How did you get an appointment so fast?"

"I briefed the judge a little on your situation, and he agreed to hear your case." "T-that's g-g-good," she said quietly.

"Do you still want to go through with it? You can change your mind, you know," Mac offered.

"N-no. I h-have t-to, e-especially now."

"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow at this address," and gave Mac a piece of paper with an address on it.

"See you then Dave."

"B-bye," Jena said softly, as Dave quickly left the court room.

"Are you hungry yet?" as they walked out to the parking lot.

Jena shook her head no.

"How about we go see Pete? Then maybe we can have an early lunch?"

"O-okay."

It was a quiet ride to Phoenix and in the elevator up to Pete's office. Helen nodded as Mac greeted her and asked if Pete was in. Pete greeted them warmly as they came into the office.

"M-morning P-Pete," Jena voiced softly, and went to the windows, studying the skyline.

Pete looked at Mac, and tilted his head towards Jena. Mac mouthed the words 'later' and asked how his day was going.

"Good. As a matter of fact, I managed to talk to a therapist who's willing to see you Jena."

"T-thanks P-Pete. I'm g-g-grateful," and turned back towards the window. "Here's her card, she's waiting for you to call and set up an appointment," Mac nodded, and tucked the card into his pocket.

"Since Jena's going to be living with you Mac, I arranged it with Personnel to have her added to your health plan, so the cost of the therapist and anything else will be covered."

"I don't know what to say….thanks Pete. I really appreciate that. Would you mind if I borrow your phone for a few minutes?"

"Sure Mac, go ahead. As a matter of fact, why don't Jena and I head down to the cafeteria and get lunch. Then you can join us when you're finished."

"Sounds good Pete. I'll just be a few minutes."

Pete got up and put an arm around Jena's shoulders, while Mac picked up the phone. In the elevator, Pete noticed that she seemed a bit down.

"I was talking to a member of the board this morning, and I briefed them on your situation. They're willing to hire you part time as an office assistant for Mac and me, if you're interested, that is?"

Jena was touched by the offer, but, after the morning she had, she was having doubts about herself and starting to feel more like a charity case than anything else.

"I'm f-f-flattered b-by y-your offer, b-but I c-can't t-take it."

Pete was flabbergasted, and didn't know what to think.

"It's good pay, and you'll still have time for yourself, if that's what you're worried about."

"It's n-not t-t-that. I j-just…..I c-can't e-explain it r-right now. I-I j-just d-don't f-f-feel right t-taking it."

They worked their way down the line, Jena picking up a small house salad and a milk for lunch.

"Is that all you're having?"

"I'm n-not h-h-hungry, o-ok! I-I w-wish everyone w-would quit t-t-telling m-me what to d-d-do and w-what to e-eat and j-just l-l-leave me a-alone!" and she stalked off with her tray to a table in the far corner of the cafeteria.

Pete just shrugged his shoulders as onlookers stared curiously at him and Jena. He sat down at a empty table closest to the door, and beckoned Mac over to the table when he appeared at the entrance a few minutes later.

"Where's Jena?"

"She's over in the corner."

"What did you do!?"

"Nothing Mac! I just offered her a job, but she turned it down! Then when I asked her about her lunch, she flew off the handle."

"Oh….what!? Wait a minute! What do you mean she turned it down?"

Pete briefed him on their conversation. Mac sat down on a chair, folded his hands, and put his head on them.

"What am I going to do Pete?" his voice muffled. "I really got myself into it this time! What the hell do I know in raising a teenage girl? Especially one that has so many issues!"

Pete put his hand on Mac's shoulder.

"Mac, I know you're frustrated. But you have to remember, Jena's been through so much this past week that I don't think she knows what to do."

"I told her she could talk to me! I don't know what else to do!"

"Just be patient Mac. If there's one thing I know, you have to let them come to you. If you keep bugging them, you'll just end up pushing them further away. Look what happened with my son Michael, and it's only now that we've been able to mend our relationship."

"I know Pete. I just wish I could get through to her. She was fine this morning, until she saw her father at the courthouse, then all hell broke lose."

"What happened?"

Mac gave him a quick run down on her father's behaviour at the court house. "Thing is…she didn't shout back, she didn't cry, she just withdrew into herself." "She's confused Mac. Think about it, it's like she's been brainwashed. For the last three years, she's never gotten any praise, only criticism. I wouldn't be surprised if she actually believes what her father says is true, because that's all she's known. And then you come along, and giving her encouragement and praise. She probably doesn't know what to think or feel."

Mac just nodded, while Pete looked at his watch.

"Listen, I have to get back to work. Why don't you grab a sandwich or something and go and sit with her? She could probably use a friend right now."

"Good advice. I'll do that, and thanks."

"No problem Mac. After all, what are friends for?" as he got up and cleared the table.

Mac grabbed a tuna sandwich and a cup of tea, then went to Jena's table.

"Can I join you?"

She nodded, and Mac sat down and started unwrapping his sandwich. He noticed that she was only playing with her salad, not really eating it.

"By the way, I managed to get you an appointment with my family doctor for this afternoon at 1:30 pm. He had a cancellation and managed to fit you in."

Jena looked up from her salad and opened her mouth to say something sarcastic, then shut it again. It wasn't Mac's fault that she was feeling the way she was.

"T-thanks."

Mac could see that she was hurting, just by looking at her eyes.

"Sure. And since we're in the same building as the therapist, why don't we stop by her office and make an appointment for you on our way out?"

Mac braced himself for an explosion, but was gladly disappointed.

"W-w-whatever y-you s-say Mac."

He quickly lost interest in his sandwich, and rewrapped it then put it in his pocket. He quietly sipped his tea while Jena finished her milk.

"I'm d-done."

Mac saw that her salad had barely been touched, but decided against saying anything. On their way out, they managed to schedule an appointment with the therapist for Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. She barely said two words when they were in the doctor's office. After 15 minutes, she had been called in and given a full physical, which included blood tests. Mac was called in after she was done, and met her in the office. The doc gave him some prescriptions that were to be filled, mostly vitamins and her Epi-pen.

"You don't need the sling anymore, Jena, just the bandage around the wrist and that should be healed in about a week. Your ribs have healed nicely, as well as that cut on your forehead. Any headaches or anything?"

She shook her head no.

"I'll let you know when we have your test results," the doc informed her, as he opened the door to the waiting room.

"Thanks Doc."

"T-thank y-you."

"You're welcome Jena, take care. See you later Mac."

Mac gathered up his mail and unlocked the front door. Jena was up the stairs and slamming the bathroom door before he could say a word. He had tried to make small talk with her on the ride home, and had only succeeded in getting one-word responses from her. After a while, he just gave up, and they had driven the rest of the way in silence. He opened the fridge to make supper, and decided to order Chinese food instead, he just wasn't in the mood to cook. He turned the TV on, and busied himself doing dishes. About ten minutes later, he heard the bathroom door open. He went up to check on her, and found her curled up on the bed, fast asleep. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then decided to take a quick shower before the food arrived. Ten minutes later he emerged from the bathroom, feeling much more relaxed. He decided to devote some time on his lesson for class the next day, since he'd been putting it off. He was surprised by a knock at the door, and realized it was the delivery guy with the food. After he paid him, he set the bags on the table, then went to wake Jena. She had to be feeling hungry by now, at least he hoped. He sat down on the bed, and shook her shoulder. on sleepyhead. Food's getting cold."

"H-huh?" she answered, eyes half opened and not quite aware of her surroundings yet.

"I took the liberty of ordering Chinese food. Is that okay?"

"I g-guess s-so. I n-never h-h-had it."

"Well, it all tastes like chicken." Jena gave him a look. "I don't think I believe that!"

Mac just grinned.

"No! It doesn't all taste like chicken. You'll like it, trust me."

He led her downstairs, and after setting up all the containers, told her what each one tasted like. She sampled almost all of it, and was surprised at how good it tasted. She even went back for seconds, helping herself to the sweet and sour chicken. Mac just smiled, and was relieved she was finally eating something. She set her empty plate in front of her on the table.

"T-t-that w-was g-good Mac, t-thanks. And….I'm s-s-sorry I've b-b-been s-so b-bitchy," her head hung down with her admission.

Mac went over and lifted up her chin.

"It's okay. I know you're probably a little confused with everything that's been going on."

"A little….yeesh! I f-feel s-so s-screwed up. I-I actually b-b-believe w-what h-he s-said to m-me t-this m-m-morning. I k-know I s-shouldn't….b-but I can't h-help it. It's….."

"It's all you've known?" Mac finished for her.

Jena just nodded, with tears of realization in her eyes.

"I c-couldn't b-b-believe h-how he r-reacted in c-court. W-why w-w-was he l-like t-that?"

"He blames you for everything. He hasn't accepted the fact that he has a problem. He's also probably suffering from alcohol withdrawal, which makes him even more unpredictable. In his mind, he thought he could still get released. But, I have to admit, I was even surprised at his reaction."

"Y-yeah. I s-see w-what y-you m-mean, b-but t-t-that d-d-doesn't g-give me the r-right to m-make t-things d-d-difficult f-for you or anyone e-else. Which r-r-reminds m-me, I'd l-like t-to apologize to P-Pete. C-can I c-c-call h-him?"

Mac nodded as he dialled Pete's number, then handed the phone to her. After a very profound and sincere apology, she asked if she could have some time to think about the part time job, then handed the phone back to Mac.

He smiled a little as Pete said, "See! My advice worked didn't it? I told you so!" he thanked Pete again, and hung up.

"Look, it's going to be okay. You just need to get realize that your that what you're father says about isn't true. In fact, you're the opposite of everything he said. The sooner you understand that, the sooner you can start healing."

"I k-know. I j-just….I've h-h-heard it s-so o-often t-t-that I t-think it's true, t-to be h-honest."

Mac leaned over and took her in a hug, rubbing her back.

"Look…you're smart, funny, pretty and have a great sense of humour. And if I have to repeat it until I'm blue in the face, so be it!"

Jena started to snicker.

"B-boy, t-that w-would be s-something to s-see. You'd e-end up l-l-looking like a-a S-Smurf!"

Jena started laughing. Mac just looked at her, which caused her to laugh even harder.

"What is so funny?"

"I…j-just…p-pictured…y-you a-all b-b-blue,….w-wearing… S-Smurf p-pants…and a h-hat."

Mac started laughing himself.

"Ok, that's enough fun at my expense. Why don't you help me clean up and then we can watch some TV. There's a survival show on that I think might interest you."

"Sure Mac," she replied, still snickering.

Both were tired from the long day, and ended up going to bed early after the show was over.


	7. A Ray of Hope

I am so sorry for not updating the story sooner! I had some technical difficulties that caused my computer to crash and it took me a few days (along with a few, colourful metaphors) to fix it. Thank you for your patience! I hope the wait was worthwhile! J

**Chapter 7 - A Ray of Hope**

Mac could hear Jena rustling around in the kitchen. He rolled over and saw that it was 6:15 am on his alarm clock and groaned.

"S-sorry Mac, I d-didn't m-mean to w-wake you. Old h-habits d-die hard I g-guess."

"Well, you must be feeling better if you're getting up with the birds!"

Jena snickered a little as she poured two glasses of orange juice and brought one over to Mac, who was still struggling to sit up on the couch.

"Thanks."

She nodded and went back into the kitchen and placed two pieces of bread in the toaster. Mac slowly began to get up, and wandered into the kitchen, still sipping his juice. He could see that Jena had something on her mind.

"Ok. What's bugging you?"

"It's n-n-nothing, r-really."

"Spill it!"

"B-but…"

Mac gave her one of those looks, and she gave in.

"Okay. What d-do I do if t-the other s-students f-f-find out t-that I'm l-living with y-you? It's a b-bit a-awkward having y-you for m-my t-teacher and living with y-you. They're g-going to t-think I'm the teacher's p-p-pet, if you k-know w-what I m-mean."

"Well, really, it's none of their business, so we don't have to tell them our arrangement. And if they find out, you can just say that I was the only option available."

Jena nodded. She knew it didn't matter what anyone else thought, just as long as she was safe. But, the last thing she needed to deal with was more stress, especially from her peers.

While Mac was showering, Jena had changed into her new running shoes, jeans, a long sleeved blouse, and added a scarf around her neck. She had left her hair down, and put on a bit of make-up to hide the bruising, which was fading with each passing day, thankfully. She kept fidgeting, pulling the sleeve over her bandaged hand. Mac came down the stairs after he got dressed and could see her uneasiness.

"Nervous?"

"A l-little, y-yeah."

Mac looked at her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You look nice. And, there's nothing to be nervous about."

"You c-can't s-see the b-b-bruises?"

"No. You did a good job of covering them up."

"T-thanks."

"All set?"

Jena nodded, and they were out the door by 7:30 am.

Class went smoothly. If anyone had noticed the bandage on her arm, no one said anything. Mac's lesson on "Finding Food in the Wild" was a hit, even if some of the students were grossed out by eating 'fiddleheads' or 'grubs'. By 3:35, all the students had left the classroom, with the exception of Jena, who was still copying notes from the board.

"S-sorry, I d-don't m-mean to take so l-long."

"Ah, now I don't want to hear any apologies, I know you're doing your best. How are you feeling?"

"H-honestly? A l-little t-t-tired."

Mac nodded.

"That's to be expected after the week you've had. It's going to take you a while to get back into the swing of things."

Jena finally finished, and quickly started to put away her books in her backpack, accidentally hitting her wrist on one of them. Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes as she turned away from Mac, cradling her wrist.

"Almost ready?" he asked, while packing up his briefcase.

"J-j-just a-about!" she answered, and tried to shake off the pain, while zipping up her pack. She wiped her eyes, put her bag on then turned around to face him.

"I'm a-a-all s-set. Y-you?"

Mac nodded as he put an arm around her shoulder. He noticed that she seemed to be favouring her left arm a little, but didn't say anything.

After fighting their way through traffic, they managed to make it to the judge's office on Wilshire Blvd. with five minutes to spare. Dave Peck was there to greet them in the waiting room.

"I was beginning to think you guys weren't going to make it, luckily Judge Banks is running behind, so we still have a little time."

Dave briefed Jena on what was going to happen with the judge, so she wouldn't be caught off guard with any questions. A tall, older gentleman quickly entered the waiting area and headed to Judge Banks office.

"Sorry about that folks, court went a little longer than expected. I'll just be a few minutes."

Jena started fidgeting, and Mac reached over and placed his hand overtop hers. She looked up and smirked.

"S-sorry. G-guess I'm a l-little n-nervous."

"It's understandable. You're taking a big step, I realize that. But you know that I wouldn't have let you go through with this if I didn't think you couldn't handle it. Right?"

"I-I k-know Mac. I a-appreciate y-you standing by m-me t-through a-all this."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. You're worth it!" he smiled warmly, and gave her a hug.

She wiped away the tears brimming her eyes, as the door opened and Judge Banks called them into his office. They introduced themselves, then sat down and got down to business.

"Ok Miss Hansen. Can you tell me why you want emancipation?"

Jena nodded, then took a deep breath and started her story. The judge took notes as he listened intently, making sure to maintain eye contact with her. Jena tried to be as thorough as she could, even adding a few additional pieces of information that she hadn't told Mac or Dave about. She tried her hardest not to cry, but ended up accepting a tissue from the judge when she finished. Mac grasped her hand, and she mouthed the words, 'I'm okay'. The judge turned to Mac, and asked him a few questions. Mac informed him of where he worked, and how he became involved in Jena's situation. Dave presented the information he had on Jena's father, handing over the pictures of the apartment and of her injuries. The judge excused himself to an adjoining office, to go over the information and make a decision. Jena cradled her arm in her lap, it was still sensitive from where the book had hit it, and was starting to throb.

"Your wrist is sore, isn't it?"

"It's f-f-fine Mac, d-don't w-worry a-about it."

Mac gave her a look, and her head sunk down.

"I can't help you if you're not honest with me."

"Ok, ok. It's k-killing m-me, all r-r-right! D-d-dummy here h-hit it w-with a b-b-book w-while I was p-packing my b-b-bag."

"First of all, you're not a dummy, it was just an accident. Secondly, why didn't you say…..never mind, I think I already know the answer."

Mac shook his head, she was just like him, stubborn. He took the scarf off from her neck and fashioned a sling out of it, easing her wrist into it.

"Is that better?"

"A l-little, y-yeah. T-thanks."

"That should do you until we get home, and then I'll take a look at it, okay?" She nodded as the judge came back into the office.

"I've gone through the written statements, as well as the evidence, and I've decided that you should be emancipated from your parents. But, I need a promise from you, that you will remain with MacGyver until you turn 18 years old. I feel that he is a positive role model for you, especially with the work he does at The Challenger's Club, and would provide a positive home environment for you. Are you all right with that?"

Jena smiled the biggest smile Mac had ever seen as she replied.

"Y-yes s-sir. That s-sounds g-g-great."

"Good. Now that we have that settled," he signed the document, tore the first copy off for Dave, the second copy for himself, then gave Jena the original. Jena's hand shook as she accepted the paper, and tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"T-thank y-you so m-much," as she shook the judge's hand.

"You're welcomed. Now, go be a teenager, and take care of that wrist."

"Y-yes s-sir, I w-will."

Mac and Dave both thanked the judge as well.

"She's very lucky to have met both of you gentlemen. You've given her a new start."

"You have as well, sir. Thank you, again," replied Mac.

Jena couldn't stop smiling as she left the office with the two guys, even if her wrist was throbbing.

"Dave, t-thank y-you for m-m-making this p-possible," as she shook his hand.

"It was my pleasure Jena."

"Yes Dave, thanks. We appreciate it."

"No problem. And if you guys ever need my help, please, don't hesitate to call," as he got into his car and drove off.

"How about we go home? We'll take care of the wrist and order-in pizza to celebrate?"

"S-sure. S-sounds good."

Jena kept reading and re-reading the paper. She couldn't believe that she actually did it. Mac kept looking over as he drove, and couldn't keep the smile off his face. He was happy that everything worked out so well.

Mac ordered two large pizzas, everything but anchovies, and arranged to have it delivered. After he hung up, he got the ice pack out of the fridge and wrapped in a tea towel, grabbed a glass of water and the bottle of aspirin. He set everything on the coffee table as he sat down, then started to unwrap Jena's arm. She clenched her teeth as Mac took a closer look.

"Well, it's swollen. And it looks like it's bruised again. Think you can tolerate an ice pack?"

She nodded as Mac gently put it under her wrist. He fished two aspirin out of the bottle, and handed her the glass of water.

"T-thanks!" she swallowed the aspirin, then curled up under the blanket.

Mac picked up the phone in the kitchen, and was just about to call Pete when he heard a knock at the door. He turned around, saw Pete standing there and beckoned him in.

"Hi Mac! Where's Jena?"

"H-hi P-Pete!" Jena yelled, as she got up and welcomed Pete with a hug.

"Hi Jena! How did it go?"

"It w-went g-g-good. I-I g-got it."

"That's great! I'm so happy for you!" and enveloped her in a hug.

"Why don't you join us for supper? We're having vegetarian pizza, and it should be here in about 15 minutes."

"Sounds good Mac. By the way, did you hurt your arm again Jena?"

"Yeah, a-a l-little. I b-b-banged it o-on one of m-m-my b-books. But M-Mac's t-t-taking g-good care of m-me, and it's a-already s-s-starting to f-feel b-better."

"That's probably the aspirin starting to kick in!" Mac joked.

"Well, there is another reason to my visit," Pete admitted, as he pulled out an envelope from his inside breast pocket.

"A few employees at Phoenix heard about your situation, and started a fund for you. Even the members of the board contributed. You're to buy whatever you need, and use the rest for college."

He handed it to Jena, who cautiously opened it and took out a check, for $25,000.

"P-Pete I…..I d-don't know w-what t-to s-say?" With tears streaming down her face, she gave him a hug.

"I-I know it d-doesn't even c-come c-close t-t-to expressing m-my g-gratitude…b-but t-thank y-you s-so m-much."

She sat down on the stool, just staring at the check.

"There's one more thing. I realize that the first time I offered you a job, that it was too much, too soon. Now that you're relatively situated, I'd like to offer you a job at The Phoenix Foundation as a researcher/office assistant. You would be working with Mac and I. What do you think?"

"M-Me? Y-You w-want me?"

"Yes! We want you!"

"B-But…I t-thought I b-blew m-my c-chances with t-that, 'cause of t-the w-w-way I acted!"

"Let's just say that when we believe in someone, we believe in giving them a chance. And I think you deserve that chance!" Pete smiled warmly.

Mac nodded in agreement.

"T-Then y-yes, I a-accept. Wow!"  
Jena couldn't stop crying, she was so happy. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this happy. No, scratch that, she had never been this happy, or felt this fortunate. After a few minutes, she attempted to regain some control of her emotions.

"I-I j-just w-want to t-thank you g-guys. For s-sticking b-by m-me, and n-not g-giving up on m-me, even w-when I've gave u-up on m-myself."

"We would never give up on you! We know you have a lot of potential, you just need a little more confidence in yourself, that's all. Right Pete?"

"I couldn't have said it better myself!"

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Mac fished out the money to pay the delivery guy.

"Ok! Who's hungry?"

Pete left after they watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Mac went upstairs to use the washroom, and found Jena sitting on the bed, staring at the cheque. He sat down beside her.

"I-I'm s-still in s-shock. I n-never r-realized t-that p-people w-would a-actually care w-what happened t-to m-m-me. I'm c-confused and o-overwhelmed a-at the s-same t-t-time. Does t-that m-make any s-sense?"

Mac smiled warmly and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Yes, it makes perfect sense. You've gotten so used to people treating you badly, that when someone does show you an act of kindness, you start to wonder why they're doing it, or what their motives are behind it. Right?"

She nodded.

"I know you have a hard time trusting people, especially after the last three years. Eventually, you're going to learn that there are people you can trust and who do want to help you, without wanting anything in return."

"I b-believe y-you. And y-you know w-what? My w-wish c-came t-true today! I g-got to s-stay w-with you!" and she gave him a big hug.

Mac just smiled.


	8. Going in Circles

_Things are starting to go much better with this story! (and my computer too! lol)_

_I hope you're enjoying this story! And please, don't be afraid to give me feedback!_

"I b-believe y-you. And y-you know w-what? My w-wish c-came t-true today! I g-got to s-stay w-with you!" and she gave him a big hug.

Mac just smiled.

**Chapter 8 - Going in Circles**

"Ok guys, a lot of you have approached me with concerns about not having the proper equipment for our camping trip. So, on Monday, a few of my friends and I will be taking you to a sporting goods store to get you outfitted."

There were a few shouts of jubilation and some thanks shouted across the class. Mac held up his hands and the class quieted down as he smiled.

"I take it you're happy about that! Ok, then all I need is for you guys, and girls, to get these release forms signed by your parents or guardians and give them to me on Monday morning. It basically gives me permission to take you off school property." He looked at his watch, then grinned. "With that said, you guys can go!! Have a good weekend!"

Mac had never seen the classroom empty that fast, and he stood there chuckling, as he said acknowledged the few remaining students leaving the class. Finally, it was just him and Jena.

"So, ready to go home?"

"Y-yes. By t-the w-w-way, I t-think it's r-really c-cool that The P-Phoenix F-F-Foundation is b-buying all t-the equipment w-we n-need for the t-trip. I d-don't t-think a l-lot of t-these k-kids, m-myself included, h-have ever h-had a-an opportunity l-like t-this!"

"Well, when Pete and I discussed this in the beginning, we knew a lot of the students wouldn't have the finances to go. We approached the board, and they gave us more than enough to cover everything."

"That's p-pretty n-neat! I'm s-so excited t-that I'm g-going to b-be w-working there! I can't w-wait!"

Mac just smiled.

"You k-know, I c-can't b-believe it's a-already F-F-Friday."

"Yeah, the week just flew by, didn't it?"

Jena nodded in agreement.

"I've got an idea. Why don't we stop by the video store and pick up a movie for tonight? Your pick."

"S-Sounds g-good, maybe 'P-Pretty W-Woman'?"

She could see Mac rolling his eyes, and started to giggle.

"I'm t-teasing. I-I p-promise I'll p-pick out s-something interesting f-for b-both of u-us, ok?"

"Oh you!" he waved a finger at her. "You like doing that, don't you?"

"D-Doing w-what?" she answered, putting on her best 'angel' face.

"Funny! Very funny!

Jena just smiled and nodded.

Jena had decided on 'Erin Brokorvich' starring Julia Roberts, after hearing it was a good movie. While Mac was taking a shower, she started to make the popcorn and her mind started to drift. She had found out on Wednesday from Mac that she couldn't get speech therapy until fall, it was simply too late in the year to start. She was disappointed, but Mac had told her not to worry, they would work something out. She heard the shower stop, and refocused her attention back to the popcorn. Mac came downstairs, towel drying his hair with one hand, and going through the mail on the counter with the other.

"By the way, how does your wrist feel?"

"Better, t-thanks. D-Do y-you think that m-m-maybe I-I can stop w-wearing the s-sling now?"

"Tell you what, why don't you leave it off for tonight, but wear it till Sunday night, just to make sure? Remember what happened on Tuesday when we went to see Judge Banks."

"Ok M-Mac."

Jena added butter and salt to the popcorn, then remembered a question she had wanted to ask.

"W-Were you a-able to t-talk to t-the architect? A-About e-expanding the h-houseboat?"

"Yes, I was. As a matter of fact, he's coming over on Sunday to go over the plans."

"C-Cool! I guess you'll be happy to get your bed back, eventually. But if you want it back sooner, we can always switch."

"Yeah, I know, and I appreciate the offer. I just feel more comfortable with you in the bedroom. Besides, I'm used to it."

"Ok."

Mac grabbed the bowl of popcorn, while Jena put in the movie.

break

"That w-was s-s-such a n-neat m-movie! I l-loved h-how she w-was a-able to o--overcome a-any obstacle and h-have it p-pay off in t-the end by h-helping a-all t-those p-people. I-I h-hope I c-can b-be l-like t-that o-one day!" she confessed as the end credits of the movie played.

" I think that you can do whatever you put your mind to. But you're right, it was a good movie."

Mac got up and stretched, then looked at the time.

"Well, I guess we'd better get to bed. You've got that appointment with the therapist tomorrow morning."

"I'm n-not r-really that t-tired yet t-though. C-Can w-we watch a-another one?"

"Not tonight, ok? Maybe tomorrow night?"

Jena shrugged her shoulders, "I-I guess s-so. Oh, um, d-do y-you t-think w-we can s-stop b-by the b-bank t-too? I n-need t-to cash that ch-cheque and o-open a bank a-account, if t-that's okay?"

"Of course it is. How much were you thinking about keeping for yourself?"

"M-Maybe $3000? Unless, y-y-you think t-that's t-too m-much?"

"No, I think that's a good amount," and was actually quite impressed at the amount she had chosen to keep. "What are you doing with the rest?"

"I-I don't k-know. Maybe s-some k-kind of f-fund or investment? I'm n-not sure."

"Why don't we ask one of the clerks? Maybe they'll have a suggestion?"

Jena nodded as Mac continued. "I take it you'd like to go shopping as well, after we go to the bank?"

"Well, yeah, a little. Is it okay? I mean, I can go by myself if you want?"

"No, it's ok. We can go. I need to pick up a few things myself."

They awoke early the next morning. Jena dressed in jeans and a blouse, and got Mac to help her with the sling. After an easy, quick breakfast they were out the door. In no time, they were sitting in the waiting room, waiting for Carol Lambert to be finished with her appointment. Mac saw Jena fidgeting and smiled.

"Stop that!" he said, with a smirk on his face.

She smiled sheepishly.

"S-Sorry, g-guess I'm a-a l-little n-nervous."

"You don't have anything to be nervous about. Carol's a very good therapist, and does great work."

"You've s-seen h-her p-professionally, h-haven't you?"

"Yes, I have. There's been a few situations I've been involved in as a field agent that required me to see her."

"R-Really? Like w-when?"

The first thing that popped into his head was Murdoc, but there was no way he was telling her about him. She had enough nightmares about her father, he didn't need to add Murdoc to the mix.

"This one time I was trying stop an arsonist. He was planting bombs in abandoned buildings as revenge for his girlfriend dying in a fire years before. One of his bombs killed a friend of mine, and I was blaming myself for his death."

"I'm s-s-sorry about y-your f-friend Mac, I d-d-didn't m-mean to b-bring u-up bad m-memories for y-you."

"It's ok Jena, you didn't. Carol helped me through that rough patch by helping me realize that it wasn't my fault."

Jena got called into the office, and Mac gave her a reassuring squeeze of her shoulder.

"Just tell her how you feel, it'll be fine."

Mac opened his laptop, and started to work on some files. Before he knew it, the hour was gone and Carol was calling him into her office.

"What's wrong? Is she okay?" as Mac sat in the chair offered.

"She's in the washroom. It was an emotional session for her, and she needed a few minutes to collect herself. She'll be in the waiting room when we're done here."

She paused as she opened Jena's file.

"The reason I called you in here is I think there's a few things you should know. Now, I realize that she's 'technically an adult', and that for all intent and purposes, I'm not to discuss our sessions with you. But, Jena has signed a waver allowing me to talk to you about her. That being said - Jena is a very bright, intelligent girl and she's very smart for her age. However, she seems to have a very low self-esteem, and she's very insecure about herself."

Mac just nodded.

"I know, I've picked up on it more and more since she's been staying with me. Pete and I offered her a job as our assistant, and she accepted. I'm hoping that might help her gain some confidence."

"That's a great idea Mac, I'm sure it'll help her blossom. Do you know if she has any friends her age?"

"No, she doesn't. She doesn't talk to anyone in or out of class, and eats lunch by herself. I think she's a little self-conscious of her stutter. But, I'm taking Jena's class camping in about a week for a few days. I thought that might bring her out of her shell. I was also thinking about bringing her to The Challenger's Club to get to know some of the kids there?"

"That sounds good Mac, let me know how she does. Other than that, I think once a week with me is enough for now. But feel free to talk to me if you need advice on how to handle something."

Mac got up, shook her hand and thanked her.

"We'll see you next week, doc," and closed the door behind him.

Mac picked up a red-eyed Jena from the waiting room, and they headed towards the parking lot.

"So…how did it go?"

"I-It w-went all r-right, I g-guess. I d-don't k-know….as s-soon as I-I s-started telling h-her s-some s-stuff about m-m-my f-father, I started c-crying. I f-feel l-like s-such a-a w-wimp!"

"You're not a wimp! You're only 15 years old and had a lot to deal with during the last week, let alone the last three years. I think you're an incredibly strong person, to be honest. You can still laugh and joke, despite what you may feel about yourself. Besides, you have to let it out sometime, don't you?"

Jena just nodded as she got into the truck, and was silent for the 10 minute drive to the bank. Mac looked over a few times and could see that she was deep in thought.

"You hoo! Earth to Jena? Are you there?" as he pulled into an empty parking space at the Bank of America.

"W-What? Oh….s-s-sorry! I g-guess I-I g-got a l-little d-distracted."

Mac put his arm around her reassuringly.

"Look, you're going to be fine. Just stop being so hard on yourself, you're only human."

"Ok, ok! Y-You c-can s-stop with t-the p-pep t-talk now!" as she rolled her eyes.

"I saw that!" Mac snickered, as he got out of the truck.

Mac held the door open for Jena, who still had the giggles, and followed her into the bank. He stopped dead in his tracks as he looked down the barrel of a sawed-off shot gun.


	9. Twists and Turns

Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate them!

Mac held the door open for Jena, who still had the giggles, and followed her into the bank. He stopped dead in his tracks as he looked down the barrel of a sawed-off shot gun.

**Warning: there are some scenes of violence and swearing in this chapter. **

Chapter 9 - Twists and Turns

"Freeze buddy! Unless you want your head blown off!"

"Ok! Ok! But can you point the gun somewhere else, you're scaring the girl!"

Mac could see that Jena was absolutely terrified, and put his arm around her to provide a little comfort.

The robber reached behind Mac and locked the door.

"Move! Over by the far wall, with the rest of the customers! NOW!" and jabbed the barrel of the gun into Mac's ribs.

Mac refrained from showing any discomfort and quickly sat down where he was told, keeping Jena beside him.

"_Are you ok_?" he whispered.

She nodded.

"NO TALKING!"

There were eight other hostages, five women and three men. Mac noticed that one of the men, a security guard, had been shot in the shoulder. Mac took stock of the situation. There were three bank robbers, all of average height, wearing black jeans and sweatshirts with no markings, and ski masks. They all were brandishing shot guns. He saw that the video cameras had been covered with garbage bags. The situation did not look good, to say the least.

One of the bank robbers slapped the other upside the head. "I thought I told you to lock the door dummy!"

"I'm not a dummy! They walked in before I had the chance!"

"Get your damn act together! We can't afford anymore mistakes like that!" "Now…who has the key to the vault?"

A young woman spoke up.

"The bank manager has it. We don't have access to the vault during the weekends."

"Whaddya mean, you don't have access!" he walked over and stood in front of her, aiming the shotgun at her.

"He's the only one with the key! And he's out of town this weekend!"

"God-damn-it! Whose lame ass idea was it to hit the bank on Saturday?"

One of the other robbers spoke up.

"It was mine! When I scouted it out, this was the day that had the least amount of security! How was I supposed to know that they closed the vault during the weekends!"

"It's your job to know stupid! Now what the hell do we do!"

"How about 'give up'?" Mac voiced.

One of them came over and hit Mac in the face with his fist.

"If you open your mouth one more time…." as he pointed the gun right at Jena's head.

Mac wisely closed his mouth while rubbing his cheek.

"Alright! Did we get all the money in the drawers!"

"I think so!"

"You think so! You think so!! Why don't you two geniuses go and check to make sure! I'll stay here and keep a look-out."

Mac still had his arm wrapped around Jena. She slipped her left hand into his right pocket, and took out his cell phone, placing it on the floor. He nodded, ever so slightly, as she placed it between them. He angled himself so that it was hidden from the robber standing guard at the door. He flipped it open, and started to text a message to Mike Kiley at the station.

"MK…BaofAm…100SBrodwy…robinprog…10host…Mac!"

(Translation: Mike Kiley…Bank of America….100 South Broadway…robbery in progress…10 hostages)

Mac quietly closed the phone and Jena placed it in back into his pocket. He could hear the two thugs in the bag rummaging through the desks, voicing their disappointment. Eventually, they came back out, empty handed.

"Well! Was there anything else?"

Both of them shook their head no.

"You mean to tell me, we held up a bank for a lousy 30 grand! That's great….just great! Now what the hell do we do?"

"We're going to lock them in the break room, then get the hell out of here! But just to make sure no one decides to be a hero……" he walked over to Jena and roughly picked her up by her good arm. Mac tried to protest, but it was cut short when the robber handed his shotgun to his friend and pulled out a .38 Special and pointed it at Jena's neck.

"You were going to say something?" as his hold on Jena tightened. Mac shook his head no.

"Good! Then everybody up! NOW! And no tricks….or the girl won't live to see the end of the day!"

The hostages got up, and with Jena in the lead, were ushered into the break room by the other robbers.

"All right! Sit down against the back wall, and get out your cell phones!"

As soon as everyone was sitting down, Jena was thrown against the wall beside Mac. He heard a crack as she hit, and she grunted in pain. She started to slide down the wall, but he caught her before she hit the floor. She was dazed, but still conscious. He leaned her against the wall, and placed his cell phone on the floor in front of them. While everyone else dug around for their cell phone in their jackets and purses, one of the men ripped the bank's phone out of the wall. A loud bang was heard, and Mac threw himself in front of Jena. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Screams could be heard from the other hostages, and one of the bank robbers went down clutching his stomach. Mac realized what was going on, and took advantage of the situation, as did the other male hostages, George and Steve, who helped Mac quickly subdue the two remaining robbers.

"Use this to tie them up!" he suggested, as he cut the phone cord in two and handed them the pieces. He checked the wound, and got one of the customers to come over and apply pressure on it to stop the bleeding.

Mac looked around and saw one of the female customers holding a Glock 26 pistol in her right hand, with a look of horror on her face.

"I want you to give me the gun, okay?" as he approached her carefully.

"I only meant to shoot him in the arm, I didn't mean to ….." her voice broke as her hand started to tremble violently.

"It's all right. It's over," he reassured, as he took another step towards her. "What's your name?"

"It's Cheryl."

"Ok, Cheryl…I want you to give me the gun."

"But what if he tries to hurt someone else?"

"We got them Cheryl. No one else has to get hurt!" and quickly snatched the gun out of her hand.

Mac signalled to one of the other women to stay with Cheryl, to calm her down. He looked over at the security guard, holding up the gun with two fingers by the butt.

"How's your shoulder? Do you think you keep an eye on those guys with this?"

"Yeah, it's fine. It's just a flesh wound," as he stood up and took the gun from him, taking his stance a few feet from the robbers.

Mac nodded, then looked over at Jena. She was curled up in a ball in the corner, quietly sobbing. He bent down beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"You okay?"

Mac saw her nodding her head, but she refused to look up. He pulled out his cell phone and called Mike, updating him on the situation. He asked one of the tellers to unlock the doors, and wait for the police to show up.

He went over and knelt in front of Jena, lifting her tear-streaked face up to face his.

"You're safe….it's over."

He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and she almost jumped into his arms, sobbing.

"Ssssh…..it's okay. It's over. I'm sorry for what happened!"

He got her to stand up and held her, rubbing her back, trying to stop her from shaking. He took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Mike Kiley appeared with a squad of police officers and the paramedics a few minutes later.

"Is everyone okay? Anyone hurt?"

"Jena got roughed up a little bit, but everyone else is okay Mike, except for one of the robbers."

"Mac! I got your message! That was quick thinking on your part! Are you guys okay?"

She continued to sob on Mac's shoulder.

"Sorry Mike. She's still a little shaken up."

Mike turned around to see his officers slapping handcuffs on the two robbers, while the paramedics worked on the other one.

"Let's see who we got here!" and ordered his men to take off the ski masks. Jena looked up and gasped softly when she saw who it was, and went a bit weak in the knees. Mac had to hold her up to keep her from falling to the floor.

"Whoa! Easy Jena! Here, sit down!"

She nodded as Mac helped her up onto a table. Mac tried to step back, but she held onto him tightly, burrowing into his chest. Mike couldn't help but notice her reaction, and got his officers to remove the robbers. The ambulance attendants followed closed behind with the third robber, handcuffed to the stretcher.

Both of the paramedics started to treat the security guard, while Mike came over and started to ask Mac for his version of events.

"How are you doing Jena?"

She just shrugged her shoulders.

"You recognized those men when my officers took off their masks, didn't you?"

She nodded.

"Can you tell me who they are?"

She shook her head no.

"If I gave you a pencil and paper….could you write their names down? And how you know them?"

Mac found a pad of paper and a pen, and handed it to her. After a few minutes, she tore off the sheet and handed it to him.

"Ralph Williams is the one with the moustache, Paul Granger

is the one with the scar on his forehead, and the other one is

Bob Kilns. My father brought them over one night and I

ended up playing bartender."

"Come here," and gave her an enormous hug. She jumped when her arm rubbed against Mac, and grunted in pain.

"Jena! Is there something wrong with your wrist?" as he saw pain in her eyes.

She nodded.

The paramedics came over, and started to examine Jena. After several minutes, they managed to convince her to lie down on the floor, and quickly started an I.V. One of them got up and took Mike and Mac to the other side of the room.

"Her left wrist is definitely broken, and she's going into shock. We need to take her in. There should be an ambulance here in about 10 minutes, but we need her to stay calm in the meantime. Do you think you can stay with her and just talk to her to keep her mind off of what we're doing?"

"Sure, I'm willing to do that."

"Actually…." Mike hesitated, not knowing how Mac would react. "Would it be okay if I ask her to write out her statement? But only if it's okay with Mac?"

"It's okay with me, as long as it's okay with Jena."

"I don't see how that would be a problem, as long as she stays calm it should be fine."

They made their way back over to Jena, who was now on oxygen, just as a precaution. Mac bent down and held her right hand.

"Jena, I know you're scared, but can you tell Mike what happened in your own words?"

She motioned for the paper and pen, and once Mac had given it to her, she started to write. After about 10 minutes, she handed Mac a two page statement. He read it over and verified it, then handed it to Mike. In the distance, they could hear sirens getting louder as the ambulance approached the bank.

"Thank you Jena, this will help tremendously. I'll be by the hospital later to see how you're doing, okay?"

She just nodded, and closed her eyes, as Mike said his goodbyes and headed back to the station house.

* * *

Mac quietly closed the door to Jena's private room, and sighed in relief. The doctors in the ER had confirmed the paramedic's diagnosis, and decided to keep her overnight for observation, just in case. It took him an hour to calm her down enough to fall asleep, although he had a feeling that the sedative that they had given her had helped a little. He sat down heavily on the chair across the hall, cradling his head in his hands and closed his eyes. A few minutes later, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up.

"Pete?"

"Yeah Mac. I came as soon as I heard. How is she?"

He sat down beside him.

"She has two broken bones in her wrist. Luckily, she didn't need surgery, the bones were in a good position that they could just give her a cast. But, she was in so much pain, that they had to give her painkillers in order to set it. Right now, she's sleeping, finally."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah Pete, I'm fine. Thanks."

"Why don't you go home and get some sleep?"

"I'd rather stay here, just in case."

The two sat in silence for the next hour, when Jena's doctor came by and checked up on her.

"How she doing doc?"

"She's going to be fine. Why don't you go home and get some sleep?"

"I'd rather stay here, in case she wakes up."

"She won't be awake until tomorrow morning with the sedatives we've given her. Go home! Or else, I'll admit you too!"

Mac threw up his hands.

"I can't win! Ok, I'll go, but on one condition. Call me if there's any change?"

"No problem. I don't think there should be, but yes, I'll call if anything happens. Now, get out of here!"

"Thanks Doc," Mac said gratefully. If truth be known, he was exhausted, all he wanted to do was sleep.


	10. Which Way?

__

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update the story….I lost my way. I apologize for keeping you guys waiting. I hope you enjoy it!

Previously

"No problem. I don't think there should be, but yes, I'll call if anything happens. Now, get out of here!"

"Thanks Doc," Mac said gratefully. If truth be known, he was exhausted, all he wanted to do was sleep.

****

Chapter 11 - Which Way?

Pete drove Mac to the houseboat. If truth be known, he didn't want him spending the night alone. Mac tossed his keys onto the counter, dropped his jacket on the floor, and sat down heavily on the couch, cradling his head in his hands. Pete picked the jacket off the floor, and put the water on for tea, then sat beside him.

"She's going to be fine Mac, stop worrying!"

"If I hadn't suggested she go to counselling, if we had stopped to get something to eat first, if we had….."

"Mac! Stop! That's a lot of 'ifs'. What 'if' you hadn't been teaching that class? Had you ever thought of that? Then you never would have met Jena and gotten her out of her situation."

Mac opened his mouth to comment, then closed it when he realized Pete's point.

"Besides, If you hadn't stopped at the bank, the thieves would have gotten away and more people could have been hurt, or worse. You have got to stop blaming yourself for other people's actions!"

"I know that Pete! It's just I feel….well, I feel responsible for her getting hurt!" Mac explained what happened during the robbery, and how she kept getting used as a shield.

"Come on Mac! You know how those kind of people work - they'll always use the youngest or most vulnerable person in the room to make sure that no one touches them. I realize you're upset, but you have to get yourself together. Jena's going to need you to guide her through this. You've been through this kind of thing before, so you can share your experiences with her and help her sort through what she's feeling."

Pete got up and made the tea, while Mac considered what his friend had said. He knew he was right. Jena was going to need him, now more than ever. She didn't need him to fall apart on her now, not after all they've been through. He woke up from his train of thought as a mug of tea was placed in front of him.

"Thanks Pete….for everything. You're right about what you said. I appreciate you helping me see that. You're a good friend."

"No thanks is necessary Mac. You mean a lot to me, and I've gotten very attached to Jena. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you or her."

They sipped their tea in silence. Pete looked over and saw that Mac had fallen asleep sitting up, coffee mug in hand. He smiled as he placed the mug on the table, and covered him with a blanket, then retreated to Mac's bedroom.

The sun was just beginning to rise when Mac awoke with a huge kink in his neck, and feeling rather stiff. He opened his eyes to find himself lying on the couch rather awkwardly, then remembered falling asleep with the mug in his hand. He slowly got up and started the coffee maker, then jumped in the shower to ease his stiffness. By the time he got out, Pete was just finishing his first cup. He packed some clean clothes for Jena, then fixed himself a cup of coffee. Pete drove Mac to the bank, so he could pick up his truck. By 7:30, they met in the lobby of the hospital, and made their way to the elevators, with Mac eagerly wanting to check on Jena.

Pete and Mac emerged on the third floor, and headed straight for Jena's room. As they approached, they saw the doctor leaving her room, and he beckoned them down the hall into a empty room.

"What's going on? What happened?"

"It's nothing serious MacGyver. Physically, she's fine but she seems to be unable to speak. We haven't found any damage to the vocal cords, so we think it might be the trauma she suffered during the bank robbery, similar to post traumatic stress disorder."

"How long until she gets it back?"

"We're not sure, there hasn't been a lot of documented cases like this."

"So what do we do?"

"Encourage her, but don't pressure her into talking, keep her active in things, and just be there for her."

The doctor paused for a few minutes to let Mac process the information, then brought up the other issue.

"By the way I noticed from her file that she's had a rough time of it lately, has she been seeing a psychiatrist?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. She just started seeing Dr. Carol Lambert over at the Phoenix Foundation."

"Ah yes, I'm quite familiar with Dr. Lambert's work, she's the best in the business. If anyone can help Jena in her current situation, it's her. We've also had quite a time trying to convince her to eat."

"Yeah, she gets like that when she's upset."

"Well, once she's at home, I'd like you to try to get her to eat regular meals. As well, she's also still feeling the effects of the sedatives we gave her, so she might be a little giddy. Otherwise, you're more than welcomed to see her."

"Thanks Doc."

"I'll prepare the discharge papers and bring them to you to sign. Go ahead in."

Mac opened the door and saw Jena, nibbling at some toast with her right hand.

"Hi Jena? How are you feeling?"

She just shrugged her shoulders.

Mac bent over and gave her a hug then cupped her chin with his hand.

"I'm glad you're okay. I'm sorry for what happened. It's my…."

Jena grabbed the pen and paper, and wrote furiously…'NOT YOUR FAULT!'

(anything Jena writes will appear with single quotes)

"But…."

'Stop that! I don't blame you…why should you blame you! You tried to protect me! They ….'

Mac could see tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you…"

'You didn't really, I just don't want you blaming yourself. Just like I shouldn't blame myself…it just happened.'

Mac didn't know what to say to that.

"Looks like you could take a few lessons from her," Pete remarked.

"Yeah, I know. She's a smart cookie."

He turned and faced Jena.

"Feel like getting out of here?"

'Do I ever!'

Mac couldn't keep himself from smirking.

"Jena!"

"Mac! You can't blame her! How many times have you been itching to get out of the hospital?"

He rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"All right, enough already. Gee, you guys know how to gang up on a guy."

Pete laughed, and Mac wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a small grin appear on her face.

"I brought you some clean clothes to wear. The doc will be back in a few minutes with your discharge papers."

'Good! The sooner the better!' then slipped into the bathroom and got dressed.

"She seems to be in pretty good spirits."

"Yeah, she does Pete. But I have the feeling that she's just putting on a front."

After receiving instructions on what not to do with the cast,

Pete dropped Mac and Jena off at the bank, so they could retrieve the pick-up, then headed to the office to take care some business.

They were making good time on the freeway, and were almost at the turn off for the marina when the left front tire blew on the truck.

"Aw…..crap!" The truck lurched, and Mac fought for control of the truck, and managed to ease it over to the shoulder.

"You okay?"

Jena nodded, feeling a little shook up.

He got out of the truck to inspect the damage, and found the tire was flat. So he grabbed the spare, the tire iron and jack and started to work on it. Jena kept herself occupied by walking along the shoulder, listening to the sound of the traffic. She came across a black garbage bag, and was going to kick it aside, when she saw something move in it. She crouched down, and thought she heard whimpering. She tried to tear open the plastic, but her hand was still weak. She carefully felt the bag, and felt only a small lump, so she picked up the bag and brought it back to the truck.

"Jena? What is it?"

She shrugged her shoulders as Mac inspected the bag, then opened it. They heard a low whimpering, then saw a matted, dark brown puff of fur, with two sad eyes, looking up at them, and absolutely filthy. It was a Labrador Retriever, no more than four weeks old. Jena carefully lifted him out of the bag and held it to her chest. The puppy nestled into her, needing warmth. It started to suckle her fingers, and she grinned a little.

"What kind of idiot would do something like this !"

Mac checked the puppy over and found that it's front paw was injured.

"I think we'd better take it to the vet and get it checked out. What do you say Jena?"

She nodded in agreement.

Mac took off his jacket, and wrapped it around the puppy, then placed in back in her arms.

Twenty minutes later they were in the veterinary's office, watching the doctor tend to the little pup.

"Well, it's a female, and she seems to be the runt of the litter. She dehydrated, malnourished and her front, left paw has been severely damaged. I have to be honest, it doesn't look too promising for her right now - the pup has less than 20 chance of survival at this point. And she's going to have to stay here until she gets better."

Jena scribbled something down in the notepad and showed it to Mac.

'She needs a name!'

"Jena….."

'She'll make it….she's made it this far.'

"Jena….listen….please don't get your hopes up too high for the puppy. She's in really bad shape, and I don't want you to be disappointed if something happens."

'I don't care Mac. Please, let me name her.'

Jena looked up at Mac, with tears in her eyes. Mac almost laughed, she looked exactly like the puppy did. After a few seconds, he finally gave in.

"Hold on Doc, I think Jena wants to give her a name."

He looked at Jena.

"Clover? Why do you want to call her Clover?"

'After a four-leaf clover, you know, for luck!' she wrote. Mac smiled.

"I think that's a great name but…."

'She'll make it Mac…I know she will…..she's….well…..she can get through anything'

"Jena…."

Jena scribbled again on her notepad, and with tears in her eyes, showed Mac. 'She'll make it damn it! She has too!'

Jena turned around and stomped out of the of the vet's office. Mac ran his hand his hair, then gave a down payment on the vet bill, and found Jena waiting outside by the truck.

"Look, I'm not trying to hurt you, I just want you to realize that….."

'I know, okay! I know! I'm not stupid! Just…..she'll make it…..just wait and see!' she scribbled angrily on the notepad, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm not saying she won't, but….I don't want you to get your hopes up…..just in case."

She started to write something, then changed her mind and proceeded to walk away from the truck. Mac caught up with her and grabbed her arm, and turned her around to face him.

"Jena!! Wait a minute! Where are you going?"

'Anywhere but here….' she wrote.

"Look! I'm sorry okay! I didn't realize……come here," as Mac enclosed her in a hug. She fought against him at first, then finally succumbed. "I'm sorry….I didn't realize she would mean that much too you……"

Jena tried to speak, but couldn't force the words out. She scribbled madly in the pad.

'Don't you see…she's made it this far, after everything she's been through. God knows how long she was in the garbage bag, and she still made it! Just like….'

"Just like _you_?"

Jena lowered her head, then nodded.

"I apologize. I had no idea that she would mean that much to you. The vet promised me that he would do everything he could. Does that help?"

'A little, yeah. Thank you. And….I'm sorry…it's just that…..'

"It's okay. I think I'm beginning to understand. I'm sorry I didn't get it sooner. How about we go home?"

Jena nodded.

Mac pulled into the parking slot and found Jena asleep. He grinned a little, then softly shook her awake.

"We're home."

Mac grabbed her suitcase and walked her to the door. As soon as they entered, Jena went upstairs and laid down, while Mac started dinner. He made sandwiches, knowing she wouldn't have a big appetite. He brought hers up to the bedroom, along with a glass of milk, and woke her.

"Time for lunch sleepyhead!"

Jena just shook her head no, then turned over and tried to go back to sleep.

"Come on kiddo, you gotta eat. Please!"

Jena didn't move.

"All right, I'll leave it here on the night table. But, could you please eat something, even half of it. I don't want you to miss the camping trip because you're not eating," and Mac headed back down the stairs. Jena tried to sleep, but her conscious kept bugging her, she knew he was just trying to help. She really did want to go on the trip, so she sat up and started taking little bites of the sandwich.

Jena came down about two hours later, with an empty plate and glass.

"I'm glad you ate something. How's the arm?"

'Not bad.'

She sat down beside him, and helped him make the lists of what the students needed. Every now and again, she would offer suggestions. Mac looked up and realized that it was early evening, and heard his stomach growl. Jena smirked.

"Guess I should feed this thing huh? What about you, you hungry? How about some homemade French fries?"

Jena nodded.

"Good. Why don't see if you can't find something decent to watch on TV while I cook up the fries?"

They ended up watching America's Funniest Home Videos. Mac glimpsed an occasional smile from Jena, but she still didn't seem quite into it. Mac cleared the dishes when the show ended, and started to wash them. He had just finished filling the sink when he heard a gun shot resonant from the TV set. He saw Jena in tears, and quickly hurried over to her.

"Jena? What is it?"

She pointed to the screen. A C.S.I. episode had come on, and the opening scene was a bank robbery. Mac quickly shut off the set and held Jena, trying to soothe her sobbing. She settled down after twenty minutes, and he handed her some tissues to wipe her eyes.

"Why didn't you turn it off?"

'I don't know….'

"You know, you really haven't said very much about yesterday. Did you want to talk about it?"

'No.'

"I think you should, it might make you feel better."

'I said NO!' and she tried to get up.

Mac put his arms around her and held her.

'Let me go!'

"No! Not until you've listened to me. I know how you're feeling - the hopelessness of the situation with a gun pointed at you, the fear of not knowing whether or not they're going to pull the trigger. You're feeling a wide range of emotions right now, and we can work through it okay? But you're going to have to open up, and trust me...can you do that?"

Jena looked into Mac's eyes and nodded. She knew he was telling the truth, she could see it. Slowly she started to talk about everything that happened during the robbery….

Mac put down the empty mug and looked at the clock. It was 1:00 am. They had been talking for hours, and he could actually see the load being lightened off of Jena's shoulders.

"Are you feeling better about things?"

'Yes….thank you,' and reached over and hugged him.

"It's no problem. I hope this has helped you. But you understand, you still might have the occasional flashback, and if you do, I want you to talk to me about it. Deal?"

'Deal. Night Mac, and thanks again,' and quickly went upstairs and got ready for bed.

He sat on the couch for a moment, running his hand through his hair. This was a new experience for him…talking to a young woman about almost dying. He just hoped that it would be enough. He got up and locked the door, turned off the lights, and laid down on the couch to sleep. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.


	11. Finding the Right Trail

I apologize for not keeping up with the Jena story. As usual, life got in the way. It's been a rough couple of months, and I had lost the desire to do anything, especially write. But, things are slowly getting better, and I'm hoping to finish the story within the next few weeks, if not sooner. Enjoy!

Warnings: Harsh language/swearing.

End of Chapter 10:

He sat on the couch for a moment, running his hand through his hair. This was a new experience for him…talking to a young woman about almost dying. He just hoped that it would be enough. He got up and locked the door, turned off the lights, and laid down on the couch to sleep. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

Chapter 11 - Finding the Right Trail

Mac woke a little after 6 am. He had a lot to do before he met Pete and the other chaperones at the school. He showered, then started preparing breakfast for himself and Jena. He was making pancakes, cause he thought that it would be easier for her to handle with one arm. He stepped out and grabbed the morning paper, and quickly skimmed through the first section. He found an article about the bank robbery on page three - this time as a feature with a background story of Jena, but not in a positive way....more as a victim. He read the article thoroughly.

'Aww....man! Just what she needs, more stress!' he thought to himself as he flipped the pancakes. 'How the hell am I suppose to break this to her.'

He heard her footsteps on the stairs before he could come up with an answer, and quickly hid the paper.

"Morning Jena....how are you feeling?"

"N-not......bad," she answered.

Mac was shocked to hear her speak.

"You're talking!....that's great!"

Jena just nodded. Mac went over and hugged her.

"I'm proud of you. I know that what happened at the bank has taken a lot out of you. It's a good step forward!"

"T-thanks."

"Would you like some banana pancakes?"

"Yes p-please.....I'm s-starving."

Mac prepared Jena's plate, then made one for himself and sat beside her. He knew that he would have to tell Jena what was written in the newspaper about her, but wanted to wait 'til after she had eaten, since her appetite had been so poor during the past few days. He tried making small talk while she ate, but she saw right through him, she had picked up on his mood.

"What's w-wrong?"

"There's an article in the paper about the bank robbery. I think you'd better read it yourself......" he took the paper out from under the tea towel, and placed the article in front of her.

Jena read the article. The first part was about the bank robbery and her connection to the robbers. The abuse she suffered from her father, his past record, her connection to the bank robbers and the fact that she was now living with Mac. She couldn't believe it! Didn't those bastards have better things to do than write about her! Tears slowly welled in her eyes in frustration.

"W-why d-did they h-have to write I d-don't understand w-why they f-focused on m-me?"

Mac placed an arm around her shoulders, then wiped the tears away with his thumb.

"I don't know....I honestly don't. The press can be useful at times cruel at times about certain issues. But mostly it's about selling papers, and I guess they thought you were more interesting than the bank robbers."

"The k-kids at s-school are g-going to have a f-field day with this!"

"I think some of them will understand more than you realize."

After all, he had read their files, and knew that some of them came from worse homes than Jena did. But he also knew that there were a few who would tease her.

"C-can I g-go back to bed?" Jena joked half-heartedly.

"Jena! That's not the way to deal with this. You and I both know the truth, and that's all that matters."

"I d-don't know I....."

The phone rang, and Mac got up to answer it. It was Pete, telling him about the article in the paper.

"Yeah Pete....I saw it. We're talking about it now. But thanks for calling, we both appreciate it."

Jena nodded in agreement, and was touched that Pete called to warn them of the article. Mac hung up the phone, then sat back down beside Jena.

"I'll let you make the choice of whether or not you want to go."

"I g-guess I'm g-going to go. If I d-don't go t-today, they'll s-still be there t-tomorrow."

"I'll be there to back you up, ok?"

"Ok. Thanks M-Mac."

In no time they were on their way to the school. Mac pulled in front and dropped Jena off, while he went and parked the jeep. She made her way to class, knowing she still had a few minutes before they showed up. She took her walkman out of her purse and slipped her headphones on, then pulled out a pocket novel from her purse. She tried to read it, but her attention kept drifting elsewhere. Soon, her classmates were entering the classroom.

Some started to make comments as soon as they entered the room and saw her, others just went to their seats. A small group ended up gathering around Jena.

"Well, lookie here....it's poor little Jena!"

"Yeah, what a screw up."

"It's the teacher's pet!" someone nicknamed Chico remarked.

"Poor little Jena....daddy hurt her...now she gets to live with teacher!"

"How does it feel to be teacher's pet? Do we get perfect marks because of it?" Raphael taunted.

"Teacher's pet! Teacher's pet! Teacher's pet!" the group of 5 chanted.

Jena could hear what they were saying....and it was taking all her strength to ignore it. She turned the volume on the walkman on full. But she could hear them laughing at her, making fun of her. She forced herself back to the novel........and pretended to read.

Mac met Pete and the rest of the group from Phoenix at the main doors, then led to class. He, and the rest of the group, heard the chanting of "teacher's pet" halfway down the hall. Pete looked at Mac, and could see he was visibly upset. It almost enraged Mac to hear it. He asked the group to wait outside, then quietly opened the door and entered, finding his place behind the desk at the front of the class.

"Okay guys, you wanna knock it off please!"

The students just ignored him. He raised his voice a little more.

"I said...that's enough!...Or else no one goes on the trip!"

The group bothering Jena slowly retreated to their seats, still making gestures towards her. She had slipped her headphones off and put them into her purse.

"Oh....isn't that sweet! She put her walkman away to listen to teacher! Must be nice to live with teacher!" Chico razzed.

"What h-happened w-wasn't m-my f-fault!"

"Oh....she speaks! She sounds like Daffy Duck! No wonder she doesn't talk in class!"

Mac slapped his desk.

"I said that's enough!! And I mean it! If I hear one more derogatory comment towards anyone in this class....I will cancel the whole trip! Everyone will fail this class....and will have to repeat Grade 9! Is that clear enough for you!?"

There was total silence after that, no one spoke a word. Jena looked at Mac with thankful eyes.....and he just nodded his head, ever so slightly, in acknowledgement.

"Yes. Jena is living with me, but she is not receiving any special privileges because of it. It's simply a matter of necessity for her to complete her schooling. That's it! If any of you had been in the same situation, I would have done the same for you!"

The students were at a loss for words after Mac's speech. He was glad he was making them think about their own problems - perhaps now they would be a little more understanding of Jena's situation. Although, he had a nagging feeling that he would still have trouble with Chico and his gang.

"Okay. Now that we have that dealt with....the bus will be pulling up in ten minutes to take you guys to the sporting goods store. There's a few more additional bodies that will be joining us......." Mac walked over to the door and opened it, and Pete and the rest of the group entered.

"You all know Pete Thornton. He's the main reason why you guys are going." Pete kinda blushed at this, not liking the limelight.

"We also have Toby Kings, Sandy Keening and Lena Strands. They will be helping me in taking care of you guys on the trip."

There were a few moans from the class, but once Mac explained it was purely for safety reasons and such, the class was much more accepting of it. If truth be known, it was mostly for sanity - he knew there would be no way for him to look after 16 rambunctious teenagers by himself. The phone rang, and Mac answered it.

"Okay, the bus is here. I want you all to make your way to the main doors, and line up once you get to the bus. I'll take your permission slips as you board."

They basically ran for the exit...eager to get out of class for the day. Jena was the last one to leave...and Mac stopped her, after he made sure no one was watching, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?"

A tear slipped from her eye down her cheek, but she just wiped it away, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah.....I'm f-fine. D-don't w-worry about m-me......"

She turned and walked out of the classroom before Mac had a chance to say anything. Pete couldn't help but overhear the conversation, and knew he must be frustrated. Mac ran his hand through his hair.

"Aw...man! Damn!"

"Mac...don't blame yourself. She's just distancing herself from everything right now. She'll come back, she just needs a little time."

"I shouldn't have left her alone! Maybe she was right...she should have stayed home."

"You know that wouldn't have worked Mac. It's just delaying the inevitable. At least she knows what to expect now, so she's prepared for it."

"But it shouldn't be so hard for her......it's......"

"I know Mac. I don't think it's fair either. But we are dealing with high school kids here......and they can be cruel. At least it's only a few of them that are bothering her, and most importantly, she's not breaking down in front of them."

"Yeah...." Mac wasn't totally convinced. But he knew he had to let it go and focus on the next task...getting the kids equipped for the camping trip.

Pete put his arm around Mac and ushered him out of the class.

"Come on....let's get going!"

Soon enough, Mac was at the bus, taking permission slips from his students. He couldn't help but notice some of the dirty looks he got, especially from Chico. No, scratch that, his name was Dave, not Chico. That was just a nickname, and even Mac had a hard time remembering that. Not long after, everyone was on the bus. He couldn't help but notice that Jena was sitting by herself, listening to her walkman. He just shook his head, then sat down beside Pete, while the bus lurched into motion.

Once they got to the store, Mac handed out the list of items the students would need to the chaperones, the rest would be purchased him and Pete after school. It was a basic list - hiking boots, two pairs of pants, two shirts, three pairs of socks, a jacket, a hat, rain poncho and a back pack. Mac got Sandy and Lena to help the seven females in the class, while the remaining three male leaders would tend to the guys, helping them pick out the appropriate sized gear. Mac glanced over and saw that Jena was in a group with three other classmates. Sandy was doing her best trying to help all of them, but Mac could tell that Jena felt left out. While his group was picking out hiking boots, he watched as she wandered off by herself and started picking out her clothes. He was impressed that she was taking the initiative, but disliked the fact that she seemed to be distancing herself from everyone.

He refocused his attention on his own group, and couldn't help himself from smiling as he watched them trying on different hats, making ridiculous faces. He knew that a lot of these kids got their stuff second-hand, due to their parent's financial situations, so getting new things would be a treat for them.

After about 90 minutes, the students had their purchases sitting by the cash register. Each pile had the student's name on it, and would be delivered to the school the next day.

Mac looked around for Jena, but didn't see her in the store. Sandy couldn't help but notice.

"She's in the bus. She finished about 30 minutes ago."

"Thanks Sandy."

As the students were boarding the bus, Mac chatted with Pete, and they agreed to meet at the school after class so they could buy the rest of the equipment.

Within two hours, the class was back on the bus, heading back to the school. Mac was thankful that he had been able to get the Phoenix volunteers to help him. He would have gone nuts trying to control 16 rambunctious teenagers in a sporting goods store. The bus was full of excitement, students eagerly talking about the equipment that they had "picked out" for the trip. Tomorrow, the class would be spending the morning in the gym, organizing and packing the equipment for the trip.

After lunch, Mac explained to the class where they were going for their trip. "Wind Wolves Preserve" was a 30-square-mile sea of grasslands with stands of saltbush. The grasslands are home to the endangered to foxes, lizards and the endangered Bakersfield cactus.

"The only thing I want to leave behind is footprints. That way, others will be able to enjoy Wild Wolves Preserve as well."

There was a bit of laughter that followed that statement, but Mac knew it would change once they saw how beautiful and special it was up there.

"Now, I have another permission slip for your parents or guardian to sign. This is for you guys to go on the trip. As well, I want your parents to list any medical conditions you may have that may flare up while you're on the trip, such as allergies or anything else."

Mac started to describe to the class what they would be doing for the two days they were out in the bush. At 3:30 pm when the bell sounded, they raced from the classroom. Soon, Jena was the only one left, busily packing up her books.

"How are you doing?" he asked gently, not wanting to rock the boat, so to speak.

"I'm fine." she replied coldly.

"Jena! There's no need to be like that."

"What the h-hell do y-you want m-me to s-say? H-huh? That I'm p-p-peachy! I'm n-not! I'm d-dealing with t-this the b-best I can…"

She angrily shoved her books into her bag.....Mac took her by the shoulders, and hugged her. She tried to fight it, but slowly succumbed.

"I'm know you are, and I know it's not easy. But you realize, that no matter how hard you try to push me, I'm still going to be here for you."

"W-why!? Why d-do y-you have t-to be s-so damn nice to me! I d-don't deserve it! You h-heard them....I'm a t-t-teacher's pet. P-poor little Jena g-getting hit by her d-dad. I'm a l-loser! Can't y-you s-see that!"

Pete was standing at the door, not wanting to intrude on their conversation.

"You are not a loser! You've just had a rough time of it lately, that's all! Tell me....what would have happened if you were still with your dad?"

Jena paused for a minute, not knowing how to respond.

"I'd s-still b-be getting b-beat up.....or w-worse......" and started to sob.

"Worse how?"

Jena just shook her head.

"D-don't make m-me a-answer that...please!"

"How would things be worst? I want you to tell me!"

"If I h-had s-stayed with h-him....I would probably be dead by now...c-considering what h-happened l-last time……"

"Look, what happened wasn't your fault, okay! It just happened! At least you're in a safe environment where you can continue your schooling, and that's all that matters."

"I k-know. It just h-hard to l-listen to."

"So, ignore them. What do they know? You just have to tune them out, that's all. And I know, it's easier said than done. But it will get easier - and pretty soon they'll start to bother someone else."

"I k-know…,"

"He's right Jena. Trust me, Mac knows what he's talking about."

Pete came into the class, and put his arm around Jena.

"Mac's had some experience with this kinda of thing, and so have I. Today it's you, tomorrow, it'll be someone else."

"I k-know, and I a-appreciate it g-guys. Thanks."

"Now, wipe your tears. How about coming with me and Pete to buy the rest of the equipment?"

"R-really? That'd b-be cool."

Mac grinned as he put his arm around Jena and they walked down the hall.

The shopping took longer than they thought. After a lively discussion, they ended up buy one eight-person tent (so they could store the food in it) and four six-person tents. They also bought sleeping bags, compasses, canteens, matches, flashlights, batteries, first aid kits, sleeping bags, water purification tablets, and MREs (meals-ready to eat). Pete signed the bill, and arranged to have everything delivered to the school gym the next morning. It was about 6:00 pm when they walked out of the store.

"Are you guys hungry? There's a diner around the corner that we could grab some dinner at?"

"Sounds good Mac."

Jena just nodded.

After dinner, Mac drove Pete back to the school to pick up his car, then drove home. Jena's mood seemed to have improved slightly, but he was still a bit worried about her. As soon as they got in, Jena went out to the deck, to get some fresh air. She loved the night air, and the view of the stars wasn't bad either.

Mac went up to his bedroom, and retrieved a compass from his dresser drawer, then went and joined Jena. He stumbled a little at first, not quite knowing how to start this conversation.

"There's something I want you to have."

He placed it in her hand, then pushed the button to open it.

"When I was eight years old, my grandpa Harry gave me a jackknife. It had originally been my father's, and at the time, I think he wanted me to know that I had someone looking out for me. I still think of him every time I use it. Then, when I was ten, and started roaming the woods, Harry gave me a compass. He told me it would always point me in the right direction, no matter how far off the path I strayed."

He placed the steel compass in Jena's hand. It was beautifully crafted steel, and came with a leather pouch.

"I just wanted you to know that no matter how far you stray, you'll always find your way back."

"It's b-beautiful, but I c-can't accept t-this. You s-should k-keep it in your f-family."

"Well, during the past few weeks, I've come to think of you as family. I want you to have it."

Jena's fingers caressed the casing. She felt lettering on the back of it, and saw that it had been inscribed.

"What does the 'A' stand for?"

She saw Mac blush.

"It stands for Angus."

"Oh! That's a c-cool n-name. Thanks M-mac, I really a-appreciate this."

She hugged him, then made her way to bed.

Mac settled himself in on the couch. He just hoped that Jena wouldn't have too many more days like this.


	12. Lost Again!

_Well folks, this progressed a lot better than I thought (a little longer too!). I hope you enjoy it._

_Please note: I will not be held responsible for any damages or injuries if someone decides to try the "MacGyverisms" mentioned in the story below. I do not own MacGyver or any of it's related characters. (But Jena and Chico are my own creative thoughts! )_

Previously from Chapter 11

"What does the 'A' stand for?"

She saw Mac blush.

"It stands for Angus."

"Oh! That's a c-cool n-name. Thanks M-mac, I really a-appreciate this."

She hugged him, then made her way to bed.

Mac settled himself in on the couch. He just hoped that Jena wouldn't have too many more days like this.

_**Chapter 12 - Lost Again!  
**_

The rest of the week just flew by for them. On Wednesday, they had gotten a call from the vet in regards to Clover, the pup they found by the side of the road. She had come through the surgery with flying colours and was in stable condition. She still needed time to recover, so she would be there for a couple more weeks. Jena was so happy to hear that Clover had made it, that Mac didn't have the heart to say no when she asked about keeping the little pup. It would make a nice companion for her once he started going away on assignments again.

Chico and gang seemed to leave Jena alone for the most part. She still had to endure the occasional jibe from them, but it was nothing compared to that one day in class. The threat of everyone failing seemed to have worked, for now.

The transportation issue that had been bothering Mac had been solved, thanks to Pete. The campgrounds were going to be mostly deserted, since most people didn't start camping for another few weeks. He hadn't felt comfortable staying there without some form of transportation or communication available. So Pete had been able to borrow the one from The Phoenix Foundation, and Toby Kings would be driving it.

**Friday**

Mac and Jena were up at 4:30 am. They were going to pick up Pete at his place, stop at the Phoenix Research Facility to pick up the bus, then head to the school. The weather looked a bit gloomy, threatening rain. Mac hoped they would bypass it, he wanted the kids to have a good weekend. They were going start loading the equipment and supplies before the students started to arrive at 7:00 am. Everything went smoothly and by 7:55 am, Mac had boarded the bus, picked up the microphone, and started his speech.

"Good morning campers! I hope you're all set for a great weekend?"

The kids answered as excitedly as a group, and Mac had to quiet them down to continue.

"Okay, good to hear! Now, there are a few rules I'd like to mention."

The class emitted moans in response.

"First of all, safety comes first. So no one is to wander off by themselves. I want the buddy-system to be used at all times, so if one of you gets into trouble, the other one can go get help. Also keep in mind where you are, so no horseplay and running please - we don't need any accidents. Secondly, you're going to see a lot of animals and insects in the preserve. Please, leave them alone and don't try to feed them or pet them. And lastly, I don't want you to leave anything behind in the preserve, so please, if you have any garbage, take it with you until you can dispose of it properly. Okay, speech done! It's going to take about two hours to reach the preserve, so sit back and enjoy the ride."

Mac found a seat beside Pete as the bus lurched into motion. It took a while to get out of rush hour traffic, but soon they were making their way out of Los Angeles. They were heading northwest, along Interstate 5, when Mac got up and picked up the microphone again.

"If you guys look to your left, you'll see Fort Tejon, a state historical park. It was first established in 1854, as an outpost, and used by several branches of the military since then. Nowadays, they do re-enactments of the infantry, cavalry and medical units from the Civil War, and also imitate life from the frontier days."

There were a few 'oohs and aahs' at that, and Mac was surprised that they seemed to be actually interested.

"You play tour guide very well! Maybe you should get a job as one?" Pete joked as Mac sat back down.

"That's good Pete! Very funny!" Mac grinned.

Soon, the bus was turning onto Highway 166, and Mac knew that they were nearing the entrance to the park.

"All right folks, we're almost there. We'll be parking the bus inside the gates at the Trailhead Crossing Picnic area. Then we'll be hiking up the San Emigdio Canyon on the trail, up to the Willows Picnic area, and that's where we'll be setting up camp. It'll take an hour of hiking to get there."

Moans and groans could be heard from the students, and Mac had to restrain himself from laughing.

"Come on guys! It's not that bad! It'll be fun! You'll be there before you know it!"

"Mac, how are we going to carry all the gear and food between us?"

"Already took care of that Pete. The preserve has horses you can rent for trail rides, and they were nice enough to allow me to rent two horses, so they'll carry the tents and our rations. All we'll have to carry is our own packs."

"That was good thinking Mac!"

Mac was pleased that it had turned out to be a sunny day after all with a temp of 59 degrees Fahrenheit, and perfect for hiking! In no time they were gearing up the horses, dividing the load equally between the two animals, while the students and other chaperones readied themselves for the hike. Jena came up to one of the horses and allowed him to sniff her. She tried to pet him, but was a little scared.

"Go ahead and pet him Jena, it's okay," Mac coaxed, while tying the last tent on. She hesitated a few moments, then starting stroking the animal.

"He's g-gorgeous."

"Have you ever been horse back riding?"

"No, n-not r-really. I r-rode a p-pony at a f-fair once, b-but that w-was it."

"Well, maybe when we get back, you and I can go riding some afternoon. How does that sound?"

"Are y-you serious? T-that would be c-cool…thanks Mac!" Jena reached out to hug him, but remembered about the other students, and quickly recovered by petting the horse. Mac tried not to smirk as he watched Jena cover her awkward movement, and just put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's ok Jena. Why don't you see if Lena needs any help with anything?"

Toby took point, leading the kids, while Pete and Mac were at the back of the pack, leading the horses. The trail was moderately easy, well-worn and clearly marked. The horses were a little sketchy on some of the hills, but other than that, it was a good hike. Eventually they came to the campgrounds with washroom facilities and a storage shed off to the right, a fire pit in the middle, and the creek roaring on the left hand side. In no time, they students were broken up into their groups and started to set up their tents and unpack their gear. It was nearing noon when Mac and Pete started handing out sandwiches to the group.

"Okay folks. This afternoon, we're going over to the springs. That's where we'll be getting our drinking water from, so we're bringing over two 5 gallon jugs to fill up and I want you guys to take your packs and canteens. If we're lucky, we may even get to see some wildlife near the watering hole."

Mac led the group along the trail at first, then deliberately took them on a detour. He and Pete had set up a special surprise for the group. After walking another 300 feet through wooded terrain, they came to a sheer rock wall, about 40 feet high.

"Hey teach! How we suppose to get around this? Fly?" Chico jibed.

"In a way…yeah! With these!" Mac pulled out rope and climbing harnesses from a bush.

"I thought you guys might like to try a little rock climbing!"

He couldn't help but smirk as he heard the excited murmurs from the group. He opened the door of a small shed that stood off to the side, and started to bring out helmets and protective gear. The kids eagerly dove in and started getting dressed in knee and elbow pads, and putting on their helmets.

The chaperones got ready in no time, then set about helping the kids. Lena noticed Jena off to the side, looking extremely frustrated.

"What's wrong Jena?"

"I c-can't g-get this h-harness on right! And h-how can I c-climb if m-my arm's in a c-cast? I'm n-not s-suppose to p-put any weight on it."

"Here, let me help you. The harness goes like this ….." and proceeded to fasten it up with ease.

"Don't worry about the climb, okay? Mac's already figured something out," and gave her a reassuring hug.

"Thanks."

"Ok guys, listen up! Toby and myself will go first up the cliff - we'll show you how it's done, then we'll be the belayers for the rest of the group. As a precautionary measure, there will be a set of belayers on the ground as well. For those of you who don't know, the purpose of these guys is to prevent you from falling if you slip. All you have do is find a good hand hold and keep working your way up, and don't look down!"

The kids scaled the wall with very little problems. When it came to Jena's turn, Mac bore most of the weight so that she wouldn't have any pressure on her arm. As soon Pete and Lena were up, they took a five minute breather, then started towards the springs, which were just a few minutes away. Mac took up the rear of the group, and noticed one of the boys slowing down. He seemed to be having a problem breathing.

"Are you having a asthma attack, Billy?"

He nodded his head, the wheezing was making it hard for him to speak. Sweat was pouring off his face. Mac kneeled beside him as he guided Billy to the ground.

"Where's your inhaler?"

Billy reached into his pocket and took out the inhaler, in pieces. The plastic casing for the inhaler was broken in three pieces, and the nozzle on the inhaler was plugged and slightly damaged.

"Won't……work," he gasped. " ….nozzle's…..busted!"

"Okay, hold on," Mac got out his duct tape, and tore a piece off. He pieced together the casing, then wrapped the tape securely around it, ensuring its seal. Then he took out his Swiss Army Knife, and cut off the damaged tip of the refill dispenser. He tore off a thorn from a nearby bush, and managed to hook the blockage and pull it out. With little effort, he put it together and tested it, with success. Mac held it up to Billy's mouth and dispensed it once, then again. He waited a few moments, and saw that his breathing was coming back to normal.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah…..thanks MacGyver. Sorry."

"Ah, no apologies! It could have happened to anyone! Do you feel like going ahead to the springs, or do you want to go back to camp?"

"I can make it to the springs. I'm feeling a lot better now."

"Good to hear. Let's just take it slow and easy."

Billy nodded.

The springs were amazing. For the next three hours they saw all types of wildlife, even the chaperones were astounded at how many types of wildlife they had seen. Bears, elk, bald eagles, even foxes. The chaperones took turns at explaining each one and their habits. Even Chico/Dave seemed to be getting into it. The class was a little disappointed when Mac told them it was time to leave, but he wanted to be back at camp before the sun went down. It was a short 20 minute hike, and in no time, they were breaking out the MREs for dinner. Around a cosy campfire, the kids ate their meal, and chatted about what they saw at the springs. Lena brought out marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate, and the kids had a blast making s'mores, then Toby started telling ghost stories, while Mac brought out some hot chocolate. By 10 pm, the kids and their chaperones had retreated to their tents, tired from the long day.

**Saturday**

Mac awoke a little before sunrise next morning, and heard rustling by the fire. Hoping it wasn't one of the "permanent residents" of the park, he quickly got dressed and cautiously peered out of the tent. He smirked when he saw Jena, trying to stoke up the fire.

"Good morning! What on earth are you doing up at this hour?"

"I c-couldn't s-sleep anymore, and I d-didn't want t-to w-wake the others. S-so I came o-out to get m-myself a cup of h-hot chocolate."

"Bad dreams?"

"Y-yeah, but n-nothing I couldn't h-handle. So, w-what s-surprises have y-you got in s-store for us t-today….P-professor Mac?"

"Oh cute! Just for that, you'll have to wait and see! How about giving me a hand to gather some more firewood while we wait for the other sleepyheads to get up."

"S-sure."

Within half an hour, the kids were up, grumbling and looking for something to eat.

"Morning guys! I hope you slept well! For breakfast, we have a wide assortment of MREs for your choosing : French toast, cheese omelette, mixed fruit or applesauce."

Jena wasn't big on breakfast, so she just had some applesauce. While the other kids were still eating, she started going through her pack, making sure she had everything she needed.

Pete took a look around, and noticed everyone had finished eating. Mac gave him a nod to go ahead.

"Ok kids! This morning we are rafting down the San Emigdio Creek to the Los Osos Wetlands Trailhead, then hiking back to here. Now, it's a Class 2 rapid, so it'll be a tame ride with a few wild spots. We'll be having lunch on the trail, so don't forget to pick out an MRE. Now go get your packs and canteens ready, we're leaving in 15 minutes."

Pete and Mac quickly looked over the rafts, life jackets, and helmets, and noticed that there was two small holes in one of the rafts. Pete could see the wheels turning in Mac's head, trying to come up with an idea to repair the raft. There were only three rafts, and all of them wouldn't fit in two. Mac didn't want to disappoint the kids, and he finally came up with an idea that might just work.

He looked through the trash can beside the washrooms, and found a pair of worn, tattered sneakers and an old coffee can.

"Pete, can you tear the outsole off of these and melt it in the coffee can for me?"

"What on earth for?"

"Well the duct tape alone isn't going to hold these patches on, I need something to seal it with, and preferably water resistant. Since the outsole is made out of neoprene, it'll melt easily and dry fast. And it's waterproof."

Mac had unknowingly drawn a crowd while he tended to the repairs. He cut off a two inch strip of duct tape, and put it in the tear sticky side up, then tore off another strip and placed it on top, then did the same to the other tear. By the time he had done that, Pete had brought him the melted neoprene, and Mac applied it with a scrap piece of wood. It dried in no time. Mac poured some water over the patches, and they showed no leaks.

"Let's go rafting!"

"Hey MacGyver! How'd you learn how to do that?" Raphael queried, never seeing anything like that before.

"School of course! Science class to be more specific. Anyone can do it if they have the know-how!"

"Cool!"

Mac had hoped that this trip would pique his students curiosity about things - he was glad it was working.

Since they were using oar boats, the guides (or chaperones in this case), would be doing most of the work. Since Pete did not have the training the others had with running rivers, he and Lena would be in the first boat, Toby would be in the second, and Mac would bring up the rear. Geared up and ready to go, the group pushed off, and started their run. It was a smooth ride, with the run off from the mountains adding to the levels of the creek, making it easy to navigate. Once they got to Los Osos, their next "mode" of transportation would be waiting to take them to Reflection Pond Trailhead. Mac just smiled at the thought, he couldn't wait to see Jena's face when they got there.

After 90 minutes, they reached their destination. While Mac went to check on the horses, the rest of the group put away the rafts, then followed the path up to the stables.

"Ok folks! We thought it was a bit much for you guys to walk five miles to the Reflection Pond Trailhead, so instead, we'll be using horses for the two hour ride."

The chaperones had never seen a group of kids so excited. With the horses already saddled, thanks to some helpful park rangers, they were able to start out quite quickly. Mac took the lead, and the rest of the chaperones were scattered through the group, just to make sure the kids didn't have any problems.

For Jena the ride hadn't lasted long enough. She felt like she could go on forever, the casual trot of the horse had been very soothing. She almost didn't want to get off once they got to Reflection Pond. While Mac and Toby were putting the last of the horses into the stall, Pete started a fire. She dug out her MRE and got in line for the hot water, with Chico sliding up behind her.

"Hey! What you got!"

Lena presumed he was talking about the MRE, and showed him the label.

"Let me see that!" and tore the package out of her hand, spilling it's contents. He laughed.

"Oops….did I do that?" he teased.

"Yeah, y-you d-did….jerk! Why c-can't y-you leave m-me alone!"

"Why can't you talk right?"

"Go t-to h-hell! You a-assho….."

"All right that's enough!" Mac quickly stepped between the two, after standing on the sidelines, hoping the situation would resolve itself.

"Just for that Chico, you can give your meal to Jena, and have a energy bar for lunch instead!"

"Hey man, that's not fair! I didn't…."

"K-keep it! I've l-lost my a-appetite!" replied Jena, then turned away and sat back down by her pack.

"You heard her, she l-lost her a-appetite!" he imitated.

"You! Get your water, then go sit over there! I want you to stay away from her for the rest of the trip! One more word, and I will personally ensure that you have to repeat the ninth grade! Understood?"

"Yeah….understood."

Mac went over to Lena, who was sitting away from everyone, and kneeled in front of her.

"You okay?" he could see tears in her eyes as she lifted her head to respond.

"F-fine. J-just need s-some t-time alone."

"You can have my meal if you want? You should eat something."

"N-no t-thanks. I've l-lost my appetite."

Mac put his hand on her knee.

"Don't let him get to you, okay? I've told him to stay away from you for the rest of the weekend."

"T-thanks."

Mac nodded, then went to have lunch with Pete and discussed the Chico/Jena situation. Mac realized he had diluted himself into thinking that Chico would behave himself this weekend, he knew that now. It would take more than just one weekend for him to straighten up his act. Discreetly, he went to each of the chaperones, and asked them to keep an eye on him, ensuring there would be no more problems for Jena.

Soon the group took to the trails, heading back to their camp. Mac passed out maps of the preserve to the kids. He made his way throughout the group, teaching them the tricks to map reading, and pointing out special landmarks along the way. Jena was having a little trouble understanding the concept, but didn't want to bring attention to herself, so she kept quiet. She was determined to figure it out on her own. One of the chaperones, Sandy, was walking behind her, when Sheila, one of the female students, fell. Sandy ran ahead to help her, and checked out her ankle. It was only twisted, so she helped her up and started walking beside her. Jena turned her attention back to the map, using the compass Mac had given her. She noticed movement on her left side, and saw that Chico had fallen in step beside her.

"Aw.....what's wrong? Is teacher's pet lonely?"

"S-shut up!"

"Ooooh!.....now teacher's pet is standing up for herself! Did he teach you to do that after your daddy beat you!" and laughed cruelly.

"G-go t-t-to hell!"

"That's a nice compass, I like that!" and yanked the compass out of her hand and ran into the bush.

"G-give t-that b-back!" Jena yelled, as she raced after him.

"Come and get it.....you loser!"

Chico knew he could outrun her, she would never catch up to him. She was too weak physically , and was, after all, a girl. He looked back to see how far away she was, and felt the ground disappear from beneath his feet.

Jena saw Chico fall out of sight. She slowed down, and approached the side of a steep embankment, with a roaring river at the bottom of it. She peered over the ledge and saw Chico lying face down in the water. Knowing there wasn't time to get help, she made her way down, as quickly as possible. She ran into the freezing cold water, and turned him over. He was unconscious, and wasn't breathing! She struggled as she pulled him onto the bank, then started CPR. She did 30 compressions, then gave him two breaths, then started doing compressions again.


	13. Search and Rescue

He was unconscious, and wasn't breathing! She struggled as she pulled him onto the bank, then started CPR. She did 30 compressions, then gave him two breaths, then started doing compressions again.

Chapter 13 - Search and Rescue

"C-come on Chico….b-breathe! Breathe! Damn it! Breathe!"

She repeated this for roughly two minutes until he sputtered, and threw up some water. He regained consciousness for a few minutes….muttered something incoherently, then passed out again - but at least he was breathing. There was a gash on his forehead, and she took off her bandanna and tied it around his head to stop the bleeding. She examined him further, and found that his ribs were sensitive to the touch, and that his left ankle was bent the wrong way. She knew she would have to set it - so she looked around and finally found some relatively straight branches behind a crop of rocks. She placed her hands on his ankle, and jerked it back into position. She placed the branches on both sides, then tied it with torn pieces of material from one of her extra shirts.

Jena knew she should get help, but couldn't leave him alone in his current condition. She had to get them warm, to prevent shock and hypothermia. She saw a flat clearing, just a few feet from where they were, underneath some moderately sized pine trees. As she got closer, she saw it was one giant slab of rock and knew it would be a good place to start a fire. The rock would keep in the heat of the fire, and help keep them both warm. She took off her coat to cover Chico, then started to drag him slowly to the spot. It took her about ten minutes to get him there, and when she finished, she stood up extremely frustrated.

"Why? W-why d-did you h-have to b-b-be such an idiot? Jerk!" she yelled at him. She was tired, dizzy and her arm hurt, so she sat down and took a few deep breaths. She knew it wouldn't help to get upset, and she had to keep her head on straight if they were going to come out of this okay. She tried to figure out what to do next.

"Okay. We're k-kinda sheltered here….there's p-plenty of dry grass and firewood. I g-guess I s-should start a f-fire so w-we can g-get warm," Jena felt a little more reassured by talking it out, even if no one answered. She took a few minutes to gather some wood and dried grass, then started the tedious task of starting a fire. Luckily conditions were in her favour at the moment, and she had very little difficulty in getting it started. She turned her attention to Chico, taking off his wet shirt and socks. She had packed extra clothes in her pack, so finding extra socks and a shirt for him was no problem. But the pants were a different matter, and she knew that there would be no way for her to get them off, so she just left them on. She found a towel and wrapped it around his head to keep in his body heat. She took out one of the two emergency aluminum foil blankets, and covered him with it, then placed her coat back on top. Just as she finished, she felt a drop hit her cheek, then another.

"Aw man…not now!" as the rain started to come down in buckets it seemed. She heard a boom of thunder in the distance, and realized that they were in for some nasty weather. The trees would provide some cover, not being tall enough to be struck by lightening, but she knew that they had to have some kind of shelter.

"Now…w-what do I d-do for s-shelter?" and an idea started to form.

She took out the tarp that was in her pack, and tied two ends as high as she could reach on the trees. She took the two other ends, and tied them to the bottom of two neighbouring trees, at about a 45 degree angle. It wasn't the best lean-to shelter, but she knew it would keep the rain off. She found that there was a strong breeze coming in from the west, so she tried to block off one side of the shelter using spruce branches and pieces of wood. She frequently stopped to check on Chico, making sure he was still breathing. She might not like him, but she wasn't going to just let him die either. Nobody deserved that, no matter how badly they treated people. She got out of her wet clothes and changed into a pair of jogging pants and a sweatshirt she had in her pack. Food was a bit of a problem, they only had two energy bars and two chocolate bars. She opened Chico's pack, and found his canteen, a mug, and some fireworks. Jena took the latter and put them in her pack, they might come in handy later. Other than that, there was nothing useful. Water wasn't a problem with the creek nearby, and with the rain. All they had to do was wait out the bad weather, then she could get help.

No one noticed Chico and Jena missing. When it had started raining, the group stopped long enough to put on their rain ponchos, then continued to trudge on to the camp. When they got back, they quickly took shelter in the tents and changed into dry clothes. Mac had set up a tarp with Lena's help , and gotten a fire started. He was getting out the MREs when he noticed that someone was missing.

"Has anyone seen Jena or Chico?"

The students shook their head no.

"Who was the last person to see them?" he asked in a louder voice, becoming more concerned by the moment.

"I was!" Sandy responded. "They were walking in front of me. I had to help Sheila because she fell. I thought they were right behind us?"

"When was this?"

"About an hour ago, roughly."

The students and chaperones did a thorough search of the camp but came up empty. It was visible to everyone how concerned Mac was.

"Pete, can I talk to you for a minute?" and ushered him into his tent, and started gathering extra supplies into his backpack.

"I'm going out to look for them. Can you stay here and look after the group?"

"Nope, cause I'm going with you! You're going to need help out there. Toby and the others can look after the students while we're gone."

"Thanks Pete. I appreciate that."

"What about calling for reinforcements Mac?"

"No go Pete, I already thought of that. Even if someone could make it back to the bus, the signal from the radio won't carry out of the canyon and there's too much interference from the storm. We'll have to wait until the weather clears for that."

Mac and Pete donned their rain gear, then talked to Sandy, to get the last known co-ordinates that she saw Chico and Jena. Unfortunately, she wasn't good at map reading, and could only explain that it was about thirty minutes away from camp. They started back down the path, looking for any traces of the missing kids.

"Jena! Chico!" Mac and Pete yelled, but over the pouring rain and thunder, even if it was likely they wouldn't hear them.

They searched for hours until Pete noticed it was getting dark.

"Mac, we have to go back. There's no way we're going to be able to find them in the dark."

"Pete, I can't! I've got to keep searching - they're my responsibility. I can't leave her out here!"

Pete placed a hand on Mac's shoulder.

"Mac we can barely see anything! We have to stop for tonight! I don't want to either, but look, Jena's a smart girl! Whatever has happened, I'm sure she has the situation under control."

"I know that Pete. I'm just worried."

"Me too Mac, but it'll be okay. We'll go out again at first light."

He relented, and begrudgingly followed Pete back to camp. Lena had kept the fire going, and greeted them as they arrived.

"I take it you didn't have much luck?" as she handed Pete a mug of tea.

"No, we couldn't find any trace of them. We're going out again tomorrow at first light. And weather permitting, I think we should get the kids to help us, that way we can cover more ground."

"Uh, yeah. That's a good idea Pete," and went to the edge of the tarp, just watching the rain pour down.

She placed her hand on Mac's shoulder, who was just staring out over the creek. He turned around startled, then saw a mug of tea appear in front of him.

"Oh, thanks Lena."

"We'll find her, and Chico. Don't worry!" placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Mac just stared out at the creek, drinking his tea. He was extremely worried - all sorts of scenarios were running through his mind, none of them good.

Jena was sitting in a ball by the fire, with her foil blanket around her. But it wasn't helping at all, she was still freezing. She found her small flashlight in her pack, got up and searched the area where Chico had fallen. After a few minutes she found her compass a few feet from the water's edge, thankfully not broken. He had stirred a few times since he fell, but hadn't regained consciousness yet. His head was still bleeding, and she kept adding compresses to it. His breathing seemed to be a bit more raspy, but she couldn't be sure. As long as he kept breathing, she knew he had a chance. She started to feel the cold again, so she broke off half her chocolate bar and melted it in her mug, then added some hot water. It was a little bitter, but the drink warmed her up immensely. She noticed that the creek had risen a bit because of the rain, but thought they would be relatively safe, for now. She tried to dry out her cast over the fire, but realized it was too badly damaged. Finishing the last of her drink, she wrapped herself in her blanket and curled up beside the fire, wishing for daylight to arrive quickly.

_**Sunday**_

Mac was up before sunrise. The thunderstorm had just eased up over the last hour, and the rain was tapering off to a light drizzle. Mac stoked up the fire, and put the water on for coffee. He opened the flap on Toby's tent, and asked him to meet him at the fire.

"Listen, do you think you can get a message out to Search and Rescue if you take the bus out to the highway?"

"I don't see why not Mac? I'll leave right now!"

Toby put a hand on Mac's shoulder.

"She'll be okay Mac. They both will!"

"Thanks."

Mac watched the sun come up as he waited for the rest of the campers to get up and dressed.

Jena was watching the sunrise too. She had hardly slept all night - in between the chills, keeping the fire going and keeping an eye on Chico. He had regained consciousness, but was still confused and disoriented. He would be awake for a few moments, mutter something incomprehensible, then pass out again. She knew she had to find a way to let Mac and the others know where they were.

She got up, and felt a wave of dizziness pass through her.

"Not now!" she muttered quietly.

She knew the lack of food from the previous day was catching up to her. She carefully unwrapped one of the energy bars, and slowly ate half, then put the uneaten half away for later. She hoped they would be found soon - Chico's condition was getting worse, his breathing was laboured. She was glad that the storm had finally started to subside. She got up and started to look for more wood to put on the fire, to get the chill out of her bones.

Mac was waiting for the last of the students to join them at the fire, when he saw Sheila sitting on the log nearby. He knew that she wouldn't be able to join them on the search, due to her ankle. He sat beside her, hoping to get some additional information on where she had fallen.

"How's the ankle?"

"A little sore, but I can still come with you guys and…."

Mac put his hand on her shoulder.

"I appreciate the offer, but I think you should stay off the ankle. But you can still help….can you remember exactly where you fell?" and he pulled out a map of the trail.

"I think it was right about here," she pointed at a spot on the map.

"I remember falling, and looking up at this weird stump that looked like Batman hunched over."

"Batman?"

"Yeah, there were two points on top that looked like ears. It was on my left hand side."

"Thank you Sheila, you've been a big help!"

"Good luck guys!" Lena shouted, as the group left the camp.

They had been walking for about 30 minutes. Mac could see Sandy growing more frustrated as she tried to remember where Sheila fell.

"I think it was about here!"

"Man, that's what you said five minutes ago! Is it or isn't it?!" Raphael griped.

"That's enough! She's doing the best she can!" Mac turned to Sandy, and wiped the tears from her cheek.

"I don't know anymore! It all looks the same! If anything's happened to them, it'll be all my fault…"

He held Sandy by her shoulders.

"Listen, it's not your fault! It just happened! But getting upset isn't going to help them, we need to stay calm! All right?"

She nodded her head, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Ok! Let's get going!"

They had only gone another 50 feet down the trail, when Mac noticed a weird looking log on the right hand side. As he got closer, he started to grin a little bit.

"Hold up guys! I think this is it!"

"Sandy, does this look familiar? Mac asked.

"I don't know…..", she looked around a little, and recognized the landmark.

"Oh wait! That log! It looks like Batman! This is where she fell!"

Mac broke the group up into parties of four, with himself, Pete and Sandy leading. Mac taught them quickly how to search, keeping an eye out for any tracks or broken branches.

"I also want you to keep in sight of each other. If you find them, signal with your whistle three times. Okay?"

The group nodded. Mac sent one group off to the right of the trail, while the remaining two groups headed towards the creek.

"Mac! I've got broken branches over here!"

He rushed over, and examined the bush with Pete. He saw footsteps leading through the bush. Mac could barely contain his excitement, or his energy. He was going so fast through the brush, the group could barely keep up.

Jena started putting wet leaves and cedar branches on the fire, trying to create as much smoke as she could. She knew they had to make some kind of noise, and decided it was time to use some of the fireworks. She pulled out a package of something called Wolf Pack M-98 crackers, that had 24 sticks in a package. They were suppose to be loud, and she hoped it would be noisy enough. She took one out and placed in on a rock about 15 feet away, then lit the fuse and ran. She watched as the fuse burned down, and braced herself for the noise. But she still jumped when it went off, it sounded like a cap gun going off in her ears. She tried it with two at the same time, and it was much louder. She figured if she did two every 10 minutes, that someone would eventually hear it.

Mac was rushing through the brush. He thought he heard a mild pop, and stopped for a minute to listen. The rest of the group stopped behind him.

"Mac, what is it?"

"I thought I heard something Pete!"

Within a minute, a louder "pop" could be heard.

"It's coming from over there!" and Mac raced off.


	14. Going Home

_Sorry about the delay folks._

_Contains language that may offend some readers._

Mac was rushing through the brush. He thought he heard a mild pop, and stopped for a minute to listen. The rest of the group stopped behind him.

"Mac, what is it?"

"I thought I heard something Pete!"

Within a minute, a louder 'pop' could be heard.

"It's coming from over there!" and Mac raced off.

**Chapter 14 - Going Home**

Mac stopped short when he came to the embankment. He took a look around, and thought he saw smoke coming from the right hand side, a little further down.

"Jena! Chico!" he yelled, as he made his way closer to the smoke. He thought he had heard a faint reply in return, but he couldn't be sure. A few minutes later, he heard another 'pop', much closer this time. After a few more steps, he broke through the tree line, and found Jena, tending to Chico. As she looked up at the noise, Mac blew on his whistle three times, to signal that the search was over.

"Jena!" he exclaimed, as he ran up and hugged her. "Are you all right? What happened?"

Her face was filthy and her clothes were rumpled, but he was happy they'd found them, none-the-less.

"I k-knew you'd f-find us! I'm s-so g-glad you're h-here!" and burst into tears. He broke the hug, and took a look at Chico.

"He's in b-bad s-shape Mac! He f-fell down t-the embankment. His a-ankle's b-broken, he h-has a c-concussion and I t-think he broke a f-few r-ribs. His b-breathing has g-gotten w-worse since l-last n-night!"

Mac bent down, and started to examine him. Pete joined him within minutes, as did the rest of the group. Raphael was stunned when he saw his best friend, lying on the ground in a stupor.

"You bitch! What the hell did you do to him!…. you stuttering freak!" as he grabbed Jena's collar and started to shake her violently.

"It...w-wasn't….m-my…f-fault!" she gasped.

Mac stepped in and quickly broke it up.

"That's enough! Raphael! Knock it off! Paulo! Keep an eye on him, don't let him near her!"

"Jena, how did Chico get hurt?" Pete asked.

She gave a brief version of what happened - how he had taken the compass and started running away, then falling down the embankment, but Raphael wasn't buying it.

"You pushed him, didn't you!" he gibed.

"NO! He f-fell!"

"Yeah right! Bullsh…."

"I said that's enough! We haven't got time for this! We have to get Chico out of here! Now! Now are you going to help or not!"

"How?"

An idea started to form in Mac's mind.

"Paulo, cut down that tarp and bring it over here! Raphael, go find two branches. About 2 inches thick, 6 feet long, and as straight as possible. Chris, go with him!"

The rest of the group quickly joined them.

"Sandy, can you put out the fire? As soon as they get back, we're going to have to get out of here as fast as possible."

Jena was so relieved that they had been rescued, that she found herself getting weak in the knees. She saw a boulder off to the side, and sat down heavily on it, trying to stop her tears. The boys came back in a matter of minutes with the branches. Mac took the tarp, tied two ends to one branch, then wrapped it around the other branch, and kept wrapping it until he was at the end. Six of them carefully lifted Chico and placed him on the stretcher, then four of them each took an end, and started to make their way back to the trail. Mac went over to Jena, kneeled down and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Now, what about you? Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm f-fine, j-just a s-slight headache."

"Do you feel strong enough to walk back to camp?"

She nodded.

"Come on," and helped her up.

They knew time was of the essence for Chico's sake, and made it back to camp in 20 minutes. Toby was there, and had just finished greeting the Bakersfield Search & Rescue team just when they arrived.

"Hey guys, over here!" Mac called out.

Bill Sherman, head of the rescue team, introduced himself and asked what happened. Jena was a little wobbly and tired from the hike, but did her best as she recounted the last 24 hours while the team examined and treated Chico.

Bill did a quick assessment , then took Pete and Mac aside.

"It's definitely a concussion, and a broken fibula. And it looks like he's got a punctured a lung as well. We're stabilizing him for transport by ambulance to the highway, then we're going to transfer him to the helicopter for the five minute ride to Bakersfield Memorial Hospital."

"Can I go with him? Do you have the room?" Mac asked.

"Sure, no problem."

Bill turned to Jena.

"How about you come with me and I'll get John to check you over, just to make sure you're not injured?"

John took her to the fire pit, and got her to sit down on the log. He asked her all kinds of questions - from what she drank, ate, etc. to how she was feeling, while giving her a thorough examination. He found a few minor cuts and bruises, but nothing serious.

He pulled out an energy bar, and handed it to her.

"Here, this should do you until we get you to the hospital."

"No t-thanks, I'm n-not r-really hungry. And I f-feel fine n-now, I don't n-need t-to go to the h-hospital."

Pete and Mac had come over when they saw John offering Jena food, and had overheard her last comment.

"You're going! You need to get checked out!"

Mac turned to John.

"No offence!"

"None taken!" he smiled, then turned back to her.

"You need a once over by the docs. I can only treat what I see, and there are some things that can only be revealed by a blood test."

Jena rolled her eyes.

"Ok, f-fine! I'll g-go."

"Like you had a choice!" Mac piped in.

"I think I should go with her. Would that be all right?" Pete asked.

"That would be fine."

Mac brushed his thumb against Jena's cheek.

"I'll see you at the hospital okay?"

"S-sure. M-mac, I'm s-sorry f-for causing t-this m-mess."

"Not your fault hon. Listen, I've got to go. We'll talk more later, okay?" Jena nodded.

In a matter of minutes, Chico was whisked away in the ambulance, with Bill, Mac and another medic. Pete gave instructions to Lena to pack up the camp, and bring the students back to Los Angeles. The rest of the search and rescue team started to clean up the used medical supplies, while Pete, John and Jena got into one of the rescue vehicles and headed down the dirt road to the highway. Pete helped Jena out of the truck once they had stopped, and the three of them were walking towards the ambulance when she started to stumble.

"Jena! Are you all right?"

"I'm f-fine! I g-guess I…." and she keeled over. John caught her, and quickly picked her up and carried her into the waiting ambulance onto the stretcher, with Pete running behind him.

"What's wrong with her?" as he climbed in.

John was taking her pulse, and checking her pupils and heart rate.

"She's passed out. With so little to eat the past two days, her blood sugar has dropped to a dangerous level. I should have picked up on it, but she wasn't complaining of any of the symptoms."

The doors were closed, and the ambulance started towards the hospital. He gave her an intramuscular shot of glucagon.

"What are you giving her?"

"A shot of glucose. It will bring her out of it. Don't worry, she'll be fine!"

He put a pillow under her feet to increase the blood flow to her head, and put a blanket on her to prevent shock.

Jena started to stir about a minute later. She brought up her hand to her forehead, and opened her eyes.

"…oh…..w-what h-happened?" and tried to sit up.

"Whoa! Not so fast! You passed out! I need you to stay on the stretcher okay? I have to start an I.V. and get some fluids into you."

"Aw m-man!"

Pete was so thankful that she had regained consciousness, that he had to restrain himself from laughing. She sounded so much like another certain person he knew who absolutely couldn't stand hospitals. Within a few minutes, the constant motion of the ambulance had lulled Jena to sleep. John had contacted the hospital to advise them of her condition. About twenty minutes later, they pulled up to the emergency entrance. She was still asleep when she was whisked away by the head nurse into an examining room, while Pete was left in the waiting room.

Mac, meanwhile, was in another waiting room, staring out the window. They had rushed Chico/Dave into emergency surgery as soon as they had landed. He had gotten in touch with Chico's dad, Hank, who had just gotten home from his shift as night watchman at a auto processing plant. Mac thought that he had taken the news rather well, for some reason. He made arrangements for Hank to be transported to Bakersfield within the hour. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Mr. MacGyver?" the nurse asked.

"Yes."

"I have a message for you from Mr. Thornton. They arrived about twenty minutes ago. He's in the waiting room of the emergency department."

"That's good to hear. Any word on Jena?"

"I don't know, Mr. Thornton said that the doctor was still examining her, but he would know something soon. Why don't you head down, I'll contact you once Dave's father gets here."

"I appreciate that. Thanks."

Mac had made it to the waiting room in record time, and looked around for Pete. He found him pacing in front of the coffee machine.

"Pete! How's Jena?"

"She's ok Mac. She had a bit of a problem when we met the ambulance but…."

Mac cut him off, looking puzzled.

"But she was fine… what happened?"

"She passed out, but John assured me it was nothing serious," and Pete explained what transpired.

A few minutes later the doctor came out, talked to the nurse at the desk, and then made his way over to Mac and Pete.

"Jena will be fine. Her sugar dropped to a dangerous level, but we've managed to stabilize it. She also has a few bumps and bruises, and is suffering from exhaustion. We'll be keeping her overnight for observation, and releasing her in the morning."

"That's good to hear."

"You can see her as soon as we have her settled in her room, in about an hour."

"Thanks Doc."

"How's Dave?"

"He's in critical condition Pete. They're working on him now…"

A tall, Hispanic male approached them, looking very tired.

"Mr. MacGyver? I'm Hank Gonzales," and shook his hand. "Do you know how my son is doing?"

Mac briefed him on what he knew, then the three of them went back to the fifth floor waiting room.

About an hour later, the surgeon came out.

"Mr. Gonzales? I'm Dr. Roberts. Dave's injuries were severe. We had to repair, then re-inflate his lung which was punctured by the broken ribs. His ankle was a simple fracture, and has been set. As for the concussion, it was severe, but there was no signs of bleeding in the brain on the MRI. He'll be in recovery for the next hour, then we'll transfer him to I.C.U. . He's a strong boy, he's going to be fine. He's very lucky!"

Hank wiped a tear from his eye, then sat down heavily on the couch.

"Are you okay?" Pete asked, as they both sat down beside the relieved father. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I know it's silly, for a grown man to cry. Dave can be a real handful at times. You see, he lost his mom when he was three, and I've tried to raise him the best I can. Except, I know he likes to prey on people who are weak. He figures it makes them stronger, when it just makes them weaker. I'm surprised he hasn't gotten himself killed yet, with the way he runs his mouth. I don't know what do to anymore! But I don't want to give up on him, he's all I got!"

Mac wasn't surprised at Hank's story. He had heard several different versions of it from other parents while working with their kids at the center.

"I'd like to help if you would let me Hank. We have several programs at The Challenger's Club that could help Dave. He can work through his aggressions, get help with his school work and keep out of trouble. Once he gets back on his feet, I'd be glad to show you guys around the center. In most cases, it even improves the relationships with parents."

"I would like that very much MacGyver, thank you. You don't know what this means to me!"

Mac gave him his business card, and asked Hank to call if he needed help with anything in the meantime, then went to find Jena's room.

Mac quietly entered the room, and saw Jena sleeping peacefully in bed. He went to her side, and gently picked up her hand, just to let her know she wasn't alone. If truth be known, he had to make sure that she was okay himself. He was proud of the way she carried herself out there. He stood there in silence a few minutes more, then bent down and kissed her on her forehead.


	15. Epilogue

_Well guys, this is it! Last chapter so to speak! Thank you for your patience while I wrote (or got the inspiration to write) the chapters. I also appreciate your comments! I hope you enjoyed it!_

**Epilogue**

Jena had been released the next day, as promised. It took her about a week to recover physically from the ordeal. Emotionally, however, it would take her a while longer. She still blamed herself for what happened to Dave. She still had her weekly visits with Carol Lambert, who was helping her make sense of everything, and growing a little stronger after each visit.

Three weeks after Dave's discharge from the hospital, Mac invited the chaperones, all the students and their parents to The Challenger's Club for a barbecue, which was funded by Phoenix. Everyone in the class had signed up for one of the Club's many programs, even Dave! It seemed that his weekend in the wilderness had opened his eyes to a lot of things, especially how he treated people. The relationship with his father was getting stronger every day, and he was working through his aggressions. Two small presentations were made - one by the chaperones, and the other by Hank and his son, to acknowledge Jena for saving Dave's life. And he even hugged her! Mac was beaming with pride….. it had only been three weeks since Dave's release from hospital and him joining the club. And the improvement in his attitude was remarkable!

Since Jena wasn't to start work until mid-July, Mac took her up to Maui for a two week vacation in the sun. It was just what the doctor had ordered. While they were there, Mac had made arrangements with his architect to redesign the houseboat. The second floor was redone, allowing for two separate bedrooms with a larger bathroom in the middle of them. On the main floor, the fireplace was redone, and one corner of the living room was turned into a study area, with a top-of-the-line computer. The kitchen had also been redone, updated with new appliances and cabinets. Jena had been thrilled to see the renovations, and had fallen in love with her room, done in blues and yellows, as soon as she opened the door.

Clover, the Lab that Jena had found on the side of the road, had finally come home a week afterwards. She had fully recovered from her injuries, and became a part of the family very quickly.

Jena had never been so happy in her life. It was truly the first time that she felt like she was part of a family.


End file.
